Jannik Sinner doping case: Australian Open champion says he wouldn’t have been able to play as well if he knew he was guilty | Tennis news
Jannik Sinner says he would not have been able to achieve the level of tennis that enabled him to retain his Australian Open title if he had known he was guilty of his ongoing doping case.
The world No. 1 beat Alexander Zverev 6-3 7-6 (7-4) 6-3 in Melbourne to make it three Grand Slams in a row on hard courts after also winning the US Open.
Just two weeks ago, the shocking news arrived in New York that Sinner had failed two doping tests last March, but was exonerated, only to have the decision appealed by the World Anti-Doping Agency.
Meanwhile, ahead of the Australian Open, the Court of Arbitration for Sport has announced that a hearing will take place in April, meaning Sinner could potentially miss the next Grand Slam of the year, the French Open in May, if he is banned.
“I’m not thinking about this right now,” said the 23-year-old, who is the first Italian woman to win three Grand Slam singles titles.
“I just made an amazing streak again. I want to enjoy this moment. Then it’s time for the hearing. Now we know the dates, and that’s it.
“I’m very proud. It’s actually hard to describe. Many, many things happen off the field, which you might not know. When I go on the field, even though sometimes it’s very difficult to block such things, I have a team and people close to me who believe in me .
“It’s even more important for me because I can talk to them very openly. When I go on the pitch, I try to focus on the game. Of course, it’s still a little bit in the back of your mind. I know that I’m in this position now, so there’s nothing I can do change.
“I continue to play like this because it’s clear to me what happened. If I knew if I was going to be guilty, I wouldn’t play like this. Every time I [the case] came out in a very positive way, and I still believe that it will be so.
“I’m not thinking about this right now. Of course, you have your moments on certain days when you feel like I wish I didn’t have this problem.”
Sinner’s consistent excellence despite such outward negativity has been remarkable, with the Italian extending his unbeaten streak to 21 matches dating back to a loss to Carlos Alcaraz in Beijing in early October.
Like his great rival, who congratulated him, Sinner won his first three Slam finals and is now just one behind the Spaniard, while equaling the ATP record by winning 47 of his first 50 matches as world No.1.
Watch the ATP and WTA Tours, as well as the US Open in New York, live on Sky Sports in 2025 or stream with NOW and The Sky Sports appgiving Sky Sports customers access to over 50 per cent more live sport this year at no extra cost. Find out more here.
