The wind is not blowing in Jannik Sinner‘s favor. He might have won two Grand Slams this season, but his tennis career is far from peaceful following his failure in doping trial – not once but twice! Despite receiving a green signal from ITIA, Sinner’s fate turned when WADA re-appealed his case. Amidst all, he will play in the ATP Finals in Turin. Before his match, a pro sports journalist took a dig at his situation and confirmed why his presence would bring a one-of-a-kind emotion to the tournament.

John Wertheim, a prominent sports journalist, had an interesting opinion about Jannik Sinner while discussing the ranking and players in the ATP Finals field with Tennis Channel host Steve Weissman. Wertheim was asked about the definition of tangibles in tennis according to his opinion and the players who rank in the top two. In his response, Wertheim highlighted Sinner’s doping saga and brought up an important point.

“That is a great question. The definitions I, you know what about Sinner not only playing the only player who’s playing in his home country. So this is an opportunity. He didn’t play the Olympics. This is an opportunity for him to play in front of a home crowd. I also I mean, it’s not a pleasant topic, but we don’t know when we’re going to see him. He has this appeal pending. I don’t know. Is that an intangible as well,”  he said. Now, Wertheim’s statement highlighted the issue regarding Jannik Sinner’s doping failure twice. He was tested positive for Clostebol during the 2024 Miami Open and was stripped of his Indian Wells prize money. Since the amount of Clostebol found in his blood was less than a billionth of a gram ITIA gave the verdict in his favor.  Sinner played tournaments afterwards but some of his colleagues and fraternity weren’t satisfied with the verdict. They believed Sinner’s treatment was partial. For example, Barbara Schett believed Simona Halep didn’t receive this leniency in her verdict like Jannik Sinner.

During Sinner’s 2024 US Open run, WADA appealed before CAS keeping ITIA and ITF in the loop about Sinner’s case. They requested a fair judgment. However, Sinner’s coach confirmed Clostebol entered the Italian player’s body accidentally while his former physiotherapist massaged him. Despite everything, Sinner’s fate remains uncertain before CAS’ final verdict. Wertheim highlighted that if Sinner receives any ban, the fraternity will no longer see him around. Given the verdict hasn’t arrived, the situation remains anxious. On the other hand, Sinner qualified for the ATP Finals in Turin as the world’s number-one player. This offered him a chance to showcase his brilliance in front of a home crowd and prove his hard work for the sport.

John Wertheim has supported Jannik Sinner since the beginning of his doping issue. He believed the Italian should be given the benefit of the doubt. When people like Nick Kyrgios spoke against the Italian player, Wertheim tweeted clearly expressing he would talk in favor of Sinner. “Ridiculous – whether it was accidental or planned. You get tested twice with a banned (steroid) substance… you should be gone for 2 years. Your performance was enhanced. Massage cream…. Yeah nice,” Kyrgios tweeted about Sinner’s case.

John Wertheim thinks people should remain neutral on Jannik Sinner’s doping saga

In his weekly Tennis mailbag for Sports Illustrated, Wertheim defended the Italian player and said one shouldn’t judge the player until more evidence comes into the light. “Three words that have fallen out of vogue: I don’t know. But few people have direct knowledge of what did or did not happen. We were not in the room. We have not cross-examined Jannik Sinner’s team, we have multiple positive tests. We have a theory of the case, an explanation that a panel of experts believed. We have some answered questions and some unanswered questions,” he said. Wertheim believed in Sinner’s integrity and asked people to maintain a neutral point of view given the seriousness of the matter.

John Wertheim’s statement expressed that Sinner might need to show his brilliance before the CAS verdict is out. Given he has clinched the 2024 US Open title, he has already offered a lot of promises about his future. However, his fate is still hanging before the verdict. Despite everything, Sinner’s resistance and spirit are commendable and he deserves applause for that.