Jannik Sinner’s Cincinnati victory should have been a moment of celebration, but it’s been anything but joyful for the World No. 1. The doping controversy surrounding him has refused to die down, and the backlash continues to cast a shadow over his achievements. Tennis stars are divided on the issue, each with their own take, and now, Carlos Alcaraz has weighed in with a perspective that’s raising eyebrows. 

The 21-year-old engaged in a pre-tournament presser ahead of the US Open. When quizzed about the controversy surrounding the Italian player, Alcaraz seemed to share a skeptical response. “A really difficult moment for him. I’m not gonna lie, it is complicated,” he said. For the unversed, Sinner tested positive for low levels of a metabolite of clostebol during the Indian Wells. I t is a banned anabolic steroid that can be used in ophthalmological and dermatological treatment. While Alcaraz did not directly go against Sinner, he seemed to take a veiled jibe.

“Well, I believe in a clean sport. So I don’t know too much about that. You know, I am pretty sure that there are a lot of things that we don’t know, you know, inside the team or inside, you know, everything.” Remember, following an investigation, the ITIA concluded that the presence of the substance in Sinner’s body was a result of over-the-counter spray, that his physio used to cure a small wound on his fingers. The physio, Giacomo Naldi, then passed along the chemical to Sinner via “daily massages and sports therapy,” since he worked without gloves.

This ruling had caused a huge furor with allegations of biased decisions taking center stage. But Alcaraz, who has often called Sinner a good friend had some critical stance to take as well. “But if they let Jannik to keep playing, is for something, they said he’s innocent. So that’s all I know and that’s all I can talk about,” the Spaniard said further in the interview. Alcaraz, however, is not the only person to respond critically to the matter. 

Even though the ITIA dropped the doping charges against him, the Italian player is continuously facing backlash from the tennis community. Earlier, Nick Kyrgios expressed more anger towards Sinner and demanded stringent actions against him. 

Taking to his X page, Kyrgios wrote, “You get tested twice with a banned (steroid) substance… you should be gone for 2 years,” demanding a ban on the World No. 1. But as the backlashes continue to grow, there are certain voices which have expressed support for Sinner as well. 

When Frances Tiafoe refused to criticize Jannik Sinner’s doping saga

Ahead of the US Open, several players have sat down for a pre-tournament press conferences and are facing some heated questions from the journalists. Similar was the case with Frances Tiafoe, who refused to critique his Cincnnati final opponent over the controversy related to Sinner. 

Speaking in the interview, the American star said, “He’s an incredible player, and, you know, government bodies made a decision, they went and did that. He’s cleared to play. You know, that’s pretty much what I have to say about it.” Tiafoe in fact wished his Italian counterpart good luck for the latter’s US Open campaign. But the controversy has refused to die down for Sinner.

As the first round of the US Open edges close, it would be interesting to see if Sinner can continue his momentum from Cincinnati despite the off-court woes that he is facing. Can he dodge these challenges to win big at Flushing Meadows? Only time will tell.