Jannik Sinner opted to miss the Winter Olympic opening ceremony in favour of beginning his preparations for the Qatar Open.
Sinner looks to bounce back from his Australian Open defeat to Novak Djokovic at the first ATP 1000 event of the year.
Many expected the Italian to be involved in the Winter Olympics this year as it is taking place in Milan-Cortina.
The star did not appear at the Opening Ceremony, but two other Italian tennis greats did carry the Winter Olympic torch.
Flavia Pennetta and Francesca Schiavone represent Italy in Jannik Sinner’s absence
Italian tennis was represented by Flavia Pennetta and Francesca Schiavone at the opening ceremony for the Winter Olympics.
The two retired stars have an esteemed history in the sport, having both won singles Grand Slam titles in their careers.
What would have happened if Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner played at the same time as Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal?
Pennetta won the 2015 US Open, which saw her become the first woman to win her first major tournament after turning 30.
Pennetta defeated fellow Italian Roberta Vinci in the Flushing Meadows final, which helped her achieve a career ranking high of World No. 6.
Schiavone, meanwhile, captured the 2010 Roland Garros singles title after beating Samantha Stosur in the final.
The Italian reached as high as world number four in the WTA Tour rankings, which came in January 2011.
What Jannik Sinner has done ahead of the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics
While Sinner is not expected to take part in anything for the Winter Olympics from the opening ceremony onwards, the Italian has taken part in various promotional stunts for his home event.
In a bizarre Instagram post, Sinner has taken up a new job ahead of the star-studded Winter sports tournament.
What is your bold prediction for the 2026 tennis season?
Sinner became a train ticket conductor to promote the Winter Olympics and he checked stunned passengers’ tickets on an Italian train.
Despite not appearing at the event, Sinner has taken up an ambassadorial role for the iconic sports tournament.
The world number two is arguably the most famous sports star in the country after winning four Grand Slams in two years.
