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Three-time champion Swiatek falls in Italian Open third round

ROME (AP) — Top-ranked Jannik Sinner returns from his three-month doping ban against 99th-ranked Mariano Navone before his home crowd at the Italian Open on Saturday.

It's Sinner’s first match since January, when he won his third Grand Slam title at the Australian Open.

In February, Sinner settled with the World Anti-Doping Agency on a ban that raised some questions, since it conveniently allowed him not to miss any Grand Slams and come back at his home tournament.

The agreement was made after WADA appealed a decision last year by the International Tennis Integrity Agency to fully exonerate Sinner for what it deemed to be an accidental contamination by a banned anabolic steroid in March 2024.

Many fellow pros felt Sinner was treated too lightly.

But the crowd at the Foro Italico night session will likely be fully behind Sinner, who has remained Italy's most popular athlete despite his suspension.

Swiatek loses to Collins

In the women’s tournament, three-time champion Iga Swiatek was beaten by Danielle Collins 6-1, 7-5. The third-round loss marked Swiatek’s earliest defeat at a big WTA event in nearly four years.

Swiatek, the top clay-court player on the women's tour, was coming off a lopsided loss to Coco Gauff in the Madrid Open semifinals last week. She has 15 days to rediscover her form before the French Open starts on May 25.

Swiatek has won four of her five Grand Slam titles at Roland Garros. ___

AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

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