‘I haven’t done anything wrong’: Sinner hits back in anti-doping case

AAs the countdown to the final Grand Slam tournament of the year begins, news of the Jannik Sinner anti-doping case has dominated tennis discourse. The topic dominated the discussion on the US Open tournament grounds and was the talk of the day in the various events leading up to the tournament in New York City.

On Friday, Sinner finally spoke publicly for the first time since an independent tribunal ruled that he would bear no guilt or negligence for two positive doping tests for the banned substance clostebol. In his press conference, Sinner described the verdict as a relief.

“In my head I know I didn’t do anything wrong,” Sinner said. “I’ve been playing with this in my head for months, but just [reminding] myself that I actually did nothing wrong. I always respect these rules, and I will always respect these rules of anti-doping. Just a relief for myself that I have this result.”

The press conference began with a curious scenario. After one question about the doping case, the USTA-hired moderator, Gary Sussman, tried to block further questions on the subject. Sinner, however, seemed happy to talk about it. He answered all questions at length and was fully engaged with his interrogators.

Sinner’s doping announcement has drawn criticism from some players who have suggested that top players are getting preferential treatment. Sinner, the world No. 1, insisted that he was not getting favoritism. “Every player who tests positive has to go through the same process,” he said. “There is no shortcut, there is no different treatment, it is all the same process.”

Sinner also claimed that his initial provisional suspensions were lifted and he was allowed to play due to the speed with which he and his team identified the substance they claimed had caused the contamination: “We knew straight away and we knew what had happened. We went straight there and I was suspended for two, three days.

“I couldn’t practice and stuff. But they accepted it very, very quickly, and that’s why.”

Asked how he thinks these events will affect his reputation, Sinner said he wasn’t sure, but that he found out who his friends are this week: “It’s been a very tough moment for me and my team. It still is, because it’s still quite fresh, all this. Let’s see. Here I also know who is my friend and who is not, right? Because my friends know that I would never do that, and [we are] stick together. About the reputation, we’ll see now, go ahead, right? Because this, I can’t really control that. So let’s see.”

While some players joined in the discussion, former British No. 1 Dan Evans said he believes Sinner was lucky to have resolved the matter so quickly: “I like Jannik. It’s not his fault. He put his case forward and it was accepted. There have been other players who have waited. I think he’s lucky that the matter has been brought forward so quickly. That’s a fact. It’s hard to understand how someone like Tara Moore or [Simona] Halep couldn’t get a date and then it comes in three months, an emergency.”

Evans was suspended for a year in April 2017 after testing positive for the recreational drug cocaine. Instead of targeting Sinner, he had harsh words for the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) over its handling of doping cases.

“I think they’re an organization that’s been put together and is pretty amateurish, but they wear nice T-shirts and hang out with the players,” he said. “It’s frustrating for the other players, that’s the main thing. I don’t think they do a whole lot of good for the game, to be honest. They’re going after guys who are 800 in the world for drugs and gambling, but they’re not … I think there’s a bigger problem.”

Others were less forthcoming. The outcome of Sinner’s doping case was announced just a day after Sinner defeated Frances Tiafoe in the final of the Cincinnati Open. While Tiafoe has built a reputation for speaking his mind without hesitation, the American chose not to comment on the subject.

“Obviously he’s an incredible player, and the governing bodies have made a decision, they’re going to do that,” he said. “He’s cleared to play. That’s about all I have to say about it. Good luck to him in the U.S. Open, and I’m just excited about doing my thing at the Open.”

Recent events have forced Sinner to make important decisions. He has now parted ways with his fitness trainer, Umberto Ferrara, and physiotherapist Giacomo Naldi.

His case depended on him successfully explaining that Ferrara had purchased the over-the-counter spray “Trofodermin,” which contains clostebol, and had offered it to Naldi, who continually treated a cut on his finger with the spray before massaging Sinner every day, thereby infecting him.

The pair remained on Sinner’s team for several months after Sinner received news of the positive test. Naldi was last seen on Sinner’s team during his Halle Open title run in June, and Ferrara was part of Sinner’s traveling team until Wimbledon.

“We’ve done an incredible job, had a lot of success and had a great team behind me,” Sinner said. “Now, because of these mistakes, I don’t feel confident to continue. All I need now is some clean air.”

After making his debut at this year’s US Open on Thursday, Sinner returned to Arthur Ashe Stadium on Friday for a training session with fellow countryman Lorenzo Musetti, receiving a warm welcome from a large crowd as the tournament drew closer.

Sinner opens his tournament on Tuesday against Mackenzie McDonald, a home crowd favorite. Despite having established himself at the top of the tour, the Italian’s reserved nature and more introverted personality means he receives less attention off the court than the two players directly below him, Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz. This time, all eyes will be on him.