Tennis world No. 1 Jannik Sinner insisted he’s controlling what he can after his seventh triumph of the season as he awaits the appeal of his doping violation
Jannik Sinner has admitted to “losing his smile” with his doping controversy clouding the best year of his career.
The 23-year-old Italian has established himself as the top men’s tennis player in the world this year with victories at the Australian Open and US Open. He won his seventh title of the season at the Shanghai Masters on Sunday, beating Novak Djokovic 7-6 (7-4), 6-3.
But off the court, Sinner has been battling back against two positive tests for a banned anabolic steroid called clostebol in March. A ruling by an independent panel determined he was at no fault, but that has been appealed by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
The case, which is set to be heard in the Court of Arbitration for Sport, currently has no date. And Sinner explained how the situation has impacted him in his Shanghai post-match press conference.
He told reporters: “I know this year has been very, very difficult for me because of other circumstances and at points I lost my smile a little bit because I had some issues off the court, and then they’re still in my mind sometimes.
“So it’s never easy to play in these kind of circumstances where I am in, but I just try to enjoy in the best possible way I can on the court. And obviously success is something great, and then it’s nice to say thanks to all the people who are working with me daily, who know me more than most likely all the other people.
“I just try to stay very calm, and not making any problems if I miss shots or I get unlucky sometimes, just trying to keep pushing with the best energy I have in that day. Every day’s a bit different, so I’m happy how I’m handling the situations on the court.
“I try to control what I can control, which is the mental and the physical aspect. But the rest, you know, you just have to believe and try to stay composed, especially in important moments in a match.”
Sinner’s doping violation came to light in August when the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) took the case to an independent tribunal. He argued that the two positive tests were a result of contamination.
His physio Giacomo Naldi cut his finger in early March and subsequently bought an over-the-counter spray called Trofodermin, widely used in Italy to heal cuts, which contains clostebol. Naldi used the spray while continuing to massage and bandage Sinner without gloves on in the days thereafter.
Both the ITIA and the independent panel accepted his explanation and he was cleared of wrongdoing, but it sparked backlash from sections of the tennis community including Nick Kyrigos, who called for a two-year ban. It was last month appealed by WADA, who are seeking a suspension of between 12 and 24 months.
