‘Jannik Sinner was not suspended because…’: Surprising revelation from Rafael Nadal after Djokovic feeds ‘favorite world number 1’ | Tennis news

World number one Jannik Sinner has received support from legendary Rafael Nadal over his doping case. Nadal said he does not believe Sinner intended to use a banned substance and that the Italian tennis sensation did not receive preferential treatment when he was cleared of doping after testing positive twice in March for traces of an anabolic steroid.

“I trust that he has not been punished, because those who judged this case have clearly determined that there was no punishment to be deserved. … I do not believe that the punishment has anything to do with his position as world number 1,” 22-time major champion Nadal said in an interview with “El Hormiguero” on Monday.

The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) announced on August 20 that Jannik Sinner’s positive test for a banned performance-enhancing substance was deemed unintentional, as a result of a massage by his physiotherapist. Sinner therefore avoided a suspension.

When questioned in New York about the incident ahead of the US Open, Novak Djokovic acknowledged that he understands why some players experience a double standard in tennis. He suggested that the ITIA’s decision may have caused an outcry among his colleagues.

Nadal, who sat out the US Open, said he has no reason to doubt the ITIA’s decision. “I believe in one’s good faith. I know Sinner; I don’t believe Sinner wanted doping. At the end of the day, justice is justice, and I believe in justice,” Nadal said. “I believe in the bodies that have to make decisions and that they do it based on what they think is right.”

Meanwhile, Sinner reached the last eight of the US Open for the second time by beating 14th-seeded Tommy Paul 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/5), 6-1 in the fourth round on Tuesday. He will face former world No. 1 Daniil Medvedev from Russia for a place in the semi-finals. Medvedev, the 2021 champion and last year’s runner-up to Djokovic, outclassed Portugal’s Nuno Borges 6-0, 6-1, 6-3 to reach the quarter-finals for the fifth time in six years.

With Carloz Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic out of the tournament (they’ve both been eliminated), the winner of the quarter-final between Sinner and Medvedev could well determine who will win this year’s US Open.