As Jannik Sinner amps up his preparations to return to competitive tennis, German tennis great Boris Becker has thrown his support behind the Italian as he nears the end of his suspension. The World No.1 is serving a three-month ban for testing positive for Clostebol, a prohibited substance. Sinner has only competed at the 2025 Australian Open, with his suspension taking effect from February till the beginning of May. The Italian is scheduled to return in Rome next month, where he'll likely receive a hero's welcome as he competes in front of his home crowd. Becker keen to see Sinner back in action Although Sinner received criticism from several members of the tennis community for his role in the suspension, Becker has been a staunch supporter and believes the sport will be better with both Sinner and rival Carlos Alcaraz drawing interest. “I’m happy,” said Becker at the Laureus Awards in Madrid on Monday. “I’m happy that he’s back. I think tennis needs Sinner as much as Alcaraz. I think the whole sports world is waiting for his return." Becker also had some words of encouragement for Alcaraz, who had faced some criticism for his subpar performance midway through the first quarter of the season. "They’re [Spain] very lucky to have Carlos Alcaraz," added Becker. "He’s a diamond. He’s incredibly important to tennis, a magician on the court, but he’s a human being, and human beings aren’t perfect."