Jannik Sinner Triumphs At US Open Amidst Challenging Period.
Jannik Sinner expressed immense joy after winning the US Open, describing the victory as particularly meaningful following a “very difficult” period due to controversy surrounding his positive tests for a banned substance earlier this year. The world number one secured his second Grand Slam title of the year, defeating American Taylor Fritz in Sunday’s final in dominant fashion.
Just days before the tournament began, it was revealed that Sinner had been cleared of any wrongdoing after testing positive for low levels of a metabolite of clostebol, a muscle-building steroid, in March. The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) determined that the Italian had been unintentionally contaminated by his former physiotherapist, Giacomo Naldi.
Reflecting on the challenges he faced, the 23-year-old Sinner said, “This title means so much because the last period of my career was not easy. The investigation was, and still is, on my mind. It’s not that it’s gone, but when I’m on court, I try to handle the situation the best possible way. I’m happy with how I managed this one, and I’m just excited to have this trophy with me.”
Sinner has since parted ways with both his physiotherapist and fitness trainer, but questions linger over whether his case received different treatment due to his status as world number one.
Despite the off-court distractions, Sinner’s resilience shone through as he claimed victory in New York, further cementing his place at the pinnacle of tennis.