Tennis legend Andy Roddick believes Jannik Sinner is still favourite to win the Australian Open, despite the doping “cloud” lingering over his head.

But after that, he might not be seen on the court for some time.

A date has been set for the World Anti-Doping Agency’s appeal against CAS’ decision not to ban the Italian world No.1 for a failed drug test. They are chasing a one-year suspension.

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The defending Australian Open champion heads into this year’s tournament the top seed and is favourite to go back-to-back with the bookies.

“He’s the person that I think will win … there is the cloud of the WADA case over him, so there’s every chance that this is the last time we see him for six months or a year,” he told Betway.

“A lot depends on how his case shakes out, but I do think he is the best hardcourt player in the world. He has wrestled that mantle away from Novak Djokovic after a decade-plus run with that moniker.

“I think Sinner’s the one to beat in Australia, and I certainly wouldn’t bet against him.”

In 2024, Sinner dropped just three sets on his way to his maiden grand slam title, and the first wasn’t until Novak Djokovic took him to four sets in the semi-final. Daniil Medvedev took him to five in the final.

Roddick said he believed Carlos Alcaraz will be Sinner’s biggest challenger, but the Spaniard needed to “find more consistency”.

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“He won two Slams in 2024, which is nuts. We know his top level might be the best in the world,” he said.

“He won all his matches against Sinner in sanctioned events, but the consistency is the issue. Who’s more likely to lose early in a slam right now between Sinner and Alcaraz? It’s Carlos.

“But I listened to him at an event in Charlotte, where I live, and he glossed over the two slams very quickly and spent a lot of time talking about how he wants to be more consistent.

“For me, I’m thinking: ‘OK. You had a year that was better than my entire career, in five weeks’, I think he is laser-focused on what he can improve upon, and I think that makes him even more impressive.”

First round action begins at Melbourne Park on Sunday.