Jannik Sinner recalls the moment he learned of his positive doping result back in March this year. The World No. 1 received the news after participating in Indian Wells, where he tested positive for clostebol. Eight days later, a new test again showed the presence of the same substance.
After several months without the case being public, the ITIA announced in a statement in August that Sinner had tested positive in anti-doping tests, but he would not face suspension as it was deemed an unintentional contamination. Still, this decision drew criticism, with claims that the World No. 1 had received preferential treatment compared to other players.
“I really understood who my friends are”
Despite not being suspended, WADA decided to appeal the doping verdict, seeking a suspension of up to two years for the Italian. There is still no confirmation of the appeal results, but at least the 23-year-old player will be able to finish the season as planned.
Just before his debut in the ATP Finals, Sinner spoke about the moment he learned of his positive doping result. “I don’t wish anyone to go through what I went through. I was in Monte Carlo, and Alex Vittur called me and said, ‘Jannik, you’re positive.’ I replied, ‘Yes Alex, I’m always positive.’ And he said, ‘No, Jannik, you’re positive for doping.’
“I had a moment of total darkness; I didn’t know what to say. Nothing came out of my mouth. I immediately tried to understand how it could have happened—I hadn’t done anything. I didn’t even want to believe it: I felt lost,” he added.
“It was tough. I couldn’t talk to anyone about it, and those who knew me and saw me play could tell something was wrong. At Wimbledon, I looked pale on the court, and even afterward, I was scared… in Cincinnati, I went to the club wondering, ‘How will other players look at me? What will they think of me?’ That’s when I really understood who my friends are.”
The Italian prepares to debut in the Ilie Nastase Group. He will face Alex de Minaur (7th seed) in the night session in Turin. The local star seeks to improve on his result from last year, when he reached the final but ultimately lost to Novak Djokovic in the title match.
