Jannik Sinner doping case goes beyond tennis

Jannik Sinner is not having an easy time, although his tennis results this year have been excellent. The world number 1 is playing the best season of his career, with a Grand Slam title, two Masters 1000 titles and an ATP ranking.

The young Italian – who has just Cincinnati Masters 1000 without showing his best tennis – was the subject of a doping case after a positive Monastery ball test in two tests during the Indian Wells Masters 1000 in March. The ITIA believed Sinner’s version of events, who was found innocent and not disqualified. The 2024 Australian Open champion hopes to put this behind him once and for all, but WADA and NADO have until September 6 to appeal the acquittal.

Jannik prepares for the US Openwhere he will be one of the biggest favourites for victory, together with Carlos Alcaraz And Novak DjokovicAlthough it is a very suitable tournament for his characteristics, the 23-year-old from San Candido has never made it past the quarter-finals in New York so far.

Sinner will feel so much pressure in NY

Despite the pressure and stress of a running process, Jannik Sinner has shown that he can be competitive in any situation on the tennis court. The Italian ace has already won five titles in 2024 and is aiming to end the year at the top of the ATP rankings. It has not been an easy period for Jannik Sinner. From the painful renunciation to tonsillitis at the Olympic Games in Paris to the doping case, which fortunately did not lead to disqualification. The victory in Cincinnati was a breath of fresh air for the world number one, who now wants to leave the last period behind him and focus solely on tennis.

The controversies that have occupied him in the last hours have been numerous. From the press to unfriendly comments from his colleagues. The Italian tennis player is the protagonist, despite his own real debate, between those who take his side and those who did not take the decision to acquit him by the independent court.

The case was not just about tennis. Former cyclist Stefano Agostini wrote in a Facebook post, reported by ANSA, in which he recounted his experience that in some ways was very similar to Sinner’s, but which had a very different epilogue: “An episode that I have tried to remove from my life in various ways comes back to life in my mind after almost 11 years. It was on August 21, 2013 when a surprise doping control showed that I was positive for an infinitesimal amount of a substance I had never heard of before.

The cursed Clostebol, the active ingredient of an ointment used to treat cuts, abrasions and other problems. The next day the team suspended me and a month later they fired me, a journalist (whose name I won’t mention but who I remember well) wrote about my positivity and reported that Clostebol was widely used in state doping from East Germany.”

A statement that also caused Agostini to retire from competition: “For months I tried to explain to the UCI how it was possible to find those 0.7 nanograms in my body and it was clear to everyone that there was no intention to change any performance. According to WADA rules, they gave me a 15-month disqualification (one year and 3 months). I couldn’t accept it. I stopped running at 24,” he concluded.

Jannik has suffered a lot

In conversation with Tennis365, tennis legend John McEnroe commented on Sinner’s doping case: “This is surprising news for all of us. The news just came out. It is certainly surprising and shocking at this time. Especially because it happened in March and six months have passed, and this is the first time we hear about it. Halep also said that she was infected unintentionally and that she was suspended, while Sinner said the same thing and he was not suspended. So it is clear that from the players’ point of view, things have to be consistent. This is a guy who is number one in the world right now.”

The world number 1 is asked some uncomfortable and annoying questions during this US Open. The young Italian will be under a lot of pressure over the next two weeks and will have to focus solely on the upcoming Grand Slam tournament. Jannik will learn the names of his first opponents at the US Open today, as the draw will take place. The 2024 Australian Open champion will hold his pre-tournament press conference tomorrow.