“I’ve always tried to feel good on the court,” shares Jannik Sinner, who’s been on a whirlwind of a season. While the Italian dynamo grabbed headlines with some big wins—including two Grand Slam titles—he continues to find himself entangled in a cloud of controversy as the doping saga surrounding him takes on new twists and turns. Despite the storm, Sinner is determined to keep his cool. He credits his father and coach for helping him stay grounded, and giving him the steady support he needs to navigate these challenging times. 

Sinner engaged in an interview with Sky Sports Uno in Italy, for the channel’s long-form interview which is scheduled to be released today, October 25th. He deliberated on a wide range of aspects related to his career, his on-court achievements, and the controversy surrounding the doping allegations, per the excerpts from the interview, accessed by Ubitennis.com. While he acknowledged facing distressing times, he did not fail to express gratefulness to his father Hanspeter Sinner, and coach Darren Cahill for constantly backing him. 

Speaking in the interview, the World No. 1 opened up about his challenges and said, “The problem was also when nothing had happened yet and people who knew me or played a match against saw me in low spirits and said to me ‘but you won, why are you like this?’ what do I answer? I said no, I’m fine, everything is fine.” However, he revealed that it was his father and coach who continued to rally their support for the player. 

“I have to thank my team who were close to me all the time. For example, Darren Cahill came to me, he was with me, and my dad came and thanks to them I felt safe, and protected. I always say it’s thanks to the people who are close to me because without them all this wouldn’t be possible.” Remember, the Italian tennis sensation tested positive for low levels of a metabolite of clostebol during the Indian Wells. It is a banned anabolic steroid that can be used in ophthalmological and dermatological treatment. But the star player was acquitted of the charges by an independent tribunal, which ruled that he bore “no fault or negligence.” 

The tribunal concluded that the presence of the substance in Sinner’s body was due to an over-the-counter spray that his physio, Giacomo Naldi, used to cure a small wound on his own fingers. He then passed it on unintentionally to the player via “daily massages and sports therapy,” since he worked without gloves. But despite this, Sinner faced continuous backlashes from the community, which eventually prompted WADA to file an appeal against the ruling in the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), as it demanded a ban on the player. But the support of his well-wishers did not cease. 

During an appearance on ESPN earlier, Cahill firmly stated, “Jannik would never do anything like that intentionally,” as he expressed his solidarity with the player. But while the star player faced a turbulent phase due to the backlashes, he shares to have learned a significant lesson.

Jannik Sinner reveals how the doping saga helped him identify his true friends

The tennis community stood divided over the entire doping controversy when it came to light. While many believed that Jannik Sinner was himself involved in substance use and demanded stringent action, others rushed to his rescue. While this situation definitely impacted the player, it also helped him learn a couple of lessons about friendship. 

Speaking in the same interview, Sinner said, “Maybe this case was about understanding who is your friend and who is not. And I separated those two things. And I realized that there are a lot of players that I didn’t think were my friends, and there’s quite a large amount that I thought were my friends and are not. And that didn’t do me any good in the end, but it made me realize a lot of things.” While he did not take any name, this can be seen as a direct dig at those who criticized the Italian dynamo. 

But for Sinner, the challenges are yet to be over. The CAS is yet to give its ruling and till then, nothing can be concluded. Will the star player be free from this turmoil anytime soon? Well, that remains to be seen.