Jannik Sinner ends Novak Djokovic’s winning streak at the Australian Open
Jannik Sinner threw a bracelet into the crowd after his big win against Novak Djokovic at the Australian Open.
No. 1 tennis player Jannik Sinner has made some changes to his team following a doping saga that began when he tested positive twice for a banned anabolic steroid in March.
Sinner confirmed in his first press conference on Friday that he had parted ways with his fitness coach Umberto Ferrara and his physiotherapist Giacomo Naldi since the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITA) announced on Tuesday that Sinner bore “no fault or negligence” for the two positive doping tests. The ITA said scientific experts considered Sinner’s claim that clostebol entered his body “due to contamination by a member of the support team” to be credible.
Despite his success with Ferrara and Naldi over the past two seasons, including his first major win at the Australian Open earlier this year, Sinner said he was looking for a fresh start in light of the ITA decision.
“Because of these mistakes, I’m not confident to continue with this,” Sinner told reporters on Friday before the US Open. “The only thing I need now is fresh air. You know, I’ve been struggling a lot in the last few months. Now I’ve been waiting for the result and now I just need fresh air.”
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A day after his Cincinnati Open victory, the ITA announced on Tuesday that Sinner had tested positive for clostebol, an anabolic steroid banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency, in a test at the BNP Paribas Open on March 10 and an out-of-competition test on March 18. Sinner was provisionally suspended following the positive test results but continued to play on the tour after a successful appeal.
Sinner claimed that a member of the support team regularly used an over-the-counter spray containing clostebol to treat his own wound in March before giving Sinner daily massages and sports therapy, “leading to unwitting transdermal contamination.” After an investigation, the ITA accepted Sinner’s explanation and found that the “violation was not intentional.” Sinner was stripped of the prize money and points he earned at the tournament in Indian Wells, California, but he avoided a doping ban.
On Friday, Sinner said it was a “relief” to have received the ruling: “It’s not ideal before a Grand Slam, but in my head I know I did nothing wrong. I’ve had to play with it in my head for months… I’ve always respected the rules and I will always respect the anti-doping rules.”
Sinner noted that a tiny amount of clostebol was found in his system – “0.000000001, so there are a lot of zeros before a 1 comes out” – and added that he is a “fair player on and off the court.”
Watch Sinner’s full press conference below:
Several tennis players took to social media following the ITA’s decision, claiming Sinner received preferential treatment. Former Wimbledon finalist Nick Kyrgios said Sinner should be banned for two years.
“Any player who tests positive has to go through the same process. There is no shortcut, there is no different treatment, they all go through the same process,” Sinner said. “I know the frustration of other players, of course. But maybe … they were suspended because they didn’t know exactly where (the banned substance) came from.”
Sinner added: “We knew immediately and were aware of what had happened. We went there immediately and I was suspended for two, three days… But they accepted it very, very quickly and that’s why.”
The Italian opens the US Open on Tuesday against American Mackenzie McDonald at Arthur Ashe Stadium.
Contributors: Scooby Axon
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