Despite difficult conditions, the Italian reached the final of the US Open in New York. But the two positive doping tests from the spring will not let him go so quickly. Roger Federer also commented on the case.
Jannik Sinner is on track at the US Open and is in the final for the first time.
Mike Frey / Getty
In the second week of the US Open tournament, Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz have already been eliminated, and Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have also had their say. Federer and Nadal? What do they want? One of them has been retired for two years now and is a tennis pensioner, the other is once again ailing and in early retirement.
Federer and Nadal have won several times in New York, and their opinion is of interest and counts simply because they are Federer and Nadal. But the topic of conversation for the two last week was neither their successes nor their rivalry, which was also a friendship full of mutual respect. They spoke about Jannik Sinner, their successor at the top of the world rankings.
Sinner is just 23 years old and already a major winner. In January he won the Australian Open, fulfilling the high expectations that have accompanied him since his early youth. He has led the world rankings since the beginning of June. And now he is in the final of the US Open, where he will face the American Taylor Fritz on Sunday evening (from 8 p.m. CEST).
In Friday’s semifinal, Sinner beat the physically battered Briton Jack Draper 6:4, 7:6, 6:2 in three hours. In the on-court interview afterwards, he did not forget to thank his opponent, who was also a close acquaintance and a friend off the court. Draper obviously suffered in his first Grand Slam semifinal. He had to vomit twice on the court. These were the worst possible conditions to seriously challenge Sinner.
Jannik Sinner wins the semifinal in three sets against Jack Draper.
The shadows of doubt
The South Tyrolean is the shooting star of the current season. But Federer and Nadal did not praise his talent or the consistency he has shown this season. They expressed their trust in him. The Italian has been suspected of doping for almost three weeks. In the spring in Indian Wells and a few weeks later during training, he tested positive twice for the steroid clostebol. The International Tennis Integrity Agency (Itia), which investigates and punishes such cases, then banned Sinner as a precautionary measure.
But Sinner has not missed a single match because of the potential doping case. An independent court immediately lifted this ban and finally acquitted him a good two weeks ago. The Italian could not be accused of any fault or negligence. Sinner and his legal representatives were able to credibly explain to the court that the banned substance entered his body via the hands of his physiotherapist.
The explanation was met with limited understanding by his competitors. Long-time world number one Novak Djokovic said at his media conference before the start of the US Open that he understood that certain players would now ask themselves whether different standards were being applied.
On September 6, the day of Sinner’s semi-final against Draper, the deadline for an appeal against Sinner’s acquittal expired. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) had promised to appeal against the acquittal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne. But it is unclear whether it has actually done so. It is possible that WADA is just waiting for the end of the US Open before making a statement. If it has not lodged an appeal, the case is at least formally closed for Sinner.
And this is where Federer and Nadal come into play. The South Tyrolean won the first 16 matches of the year and has already won five titles in 2024 up until the final in New York. Federer said this week on the “Today” show on the American broadcaster NBC: “I think we all pretty much trust that Jannik hasn’t done anything illegal.” At the same time, however, he added that possible discrepancies would have to be clarified. He was referring to the fact that Sinner did not have to sit out. “I understand the frustration and the question: Was he treated the same as others?”
Roger Federer talks about Jannik Sinner in an interview on NBC.
In contrast to the Basel native, Nadal had clearly sided with the Italian. The Mallorcan said in a Spanish talk show that he trusted the committees and did not see any favoritism towards Sinner. “I believe that and I am convinced of it. But I also respect the opinions of others.”
Sinner himself appeared surprisingly composed and well advised in New York. He faced the enormous pressure and the suspicions that weighed on him with remarkable composure. After his victory in the second round against the American Alex Michelsen, he said at the media conference, when asked about the criticism that had been repeatedly voiced, especially by the Australian Nick Kyrgios: “Everyone is free to say what they think. I follow it quite calmly and I don’t hold grudges. I forget quickly.”
Ridiculous – whether it was accidental or planned. You get tested twice with a banned (steroid) substance… you should be gone for 2 years. Your performance was enhanced. Massage cream…. Yeah nice 🙄 https://t.co/13qR0F9nH2
— Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) August 20, 2024
Sinner was obviously more affected by the hatred he received on social media platforms than by his competitors’ doubts. He was bombarded with accusations and insults. This was nothing new for him, he said, and there were always strong reactions there. Positive and less positive. “Whenever I lose, they come. I counteract them by staying as far away from these platforms as possible.”
They were mature and level-headed words from a young star who had also become acquainted with the dark side of the business for the first time in recent weeks. No one can say with any certainty whether Sinner is guilty or innocent. As always in case law, the principle applies here too: in case of doubt, for the accused.
The difference between real and fake friends
Sinner and those around him are level-headed enough to know that an affair like the one surrounding the doping suspicion cannot simply be ignored. In New York, the Italian said: “The experiences of the last few weeks help me to distinguish who are my friends and who are not. But that is probably part of the maturation process. I wouldn’t wish anyone to have to grow and gain experience in this way. It is not a pleasant way. But in moments like these, you realise: There is also a life outside the tennis court that is more important than everything we do as athletes.”
Sinner is now one win away from winning his second major in his career and this year. He showed some weaknesses in the first rounds of the tournament. It seems as if the doping scandal took its toll on him mentally, despite all his efforts to remain calm. But he managed to improve from match to match.
Jannik Sinner will probably not be able to shake off the shadow of the doping allegations for a long time, if at all. But growing from adversity and not breaking under it is what distinguishes real champions from supposed champions. If Sinner triumphs in New York on Sunday evening, then no one will seriously doubt that he belongs to the first category.
An article from the «»
