Jannik Sinner can’t catch a break; all because he caught the biggest cheque in tennis history. Marred by his doping controversy and catching flak from fans for his candid take on the ATP’s hectic scheduling, the Italian has remained resilient and lately, has been standing on business.

After lifting a Major in Melbourne and New York, the World No. 1 was on a roll when his winning streak unfortunately ended at the China Open. He lost the title rubber to arch-rival Carlos Alcaraz. However, Sinner was determined to exact revenge and subsequently, flexed his athletic prowess against the Spaniard in the summit clash of the Six Kings Slam exhibition on Saturday. He finished first off the line at the highly-anticipated event in Riyadh after surviving challenges from the likes of Novak Djokovic. Later, the Italian cashed in a mammoth $6 million in prize money – notably the highest in tennis history.

The 23-year-old reserved a few words to address his much-discussed rivalry with Alcaraz, to whom he lost all three previous tour-level meetings. “Until now, every match was very, very good, but we will always hope this rivalry will last as long as possible.” However, fans were far less than pleased with his feat.

Bashing the World No. 1 on his lucrative accomplishment, fans took to their social media to criticize Sinner amid his ongoing doping saga.

Fans take potshot at Jannik Sinner after Six Kings Slam triumph

Vexed by Jannik Sinner’s latest achievement at the Six Kings Slam exhibition in Saudi Arabia amid his doping nightmare, one fan expressed disgust over the Italian’s rise in prominence, stating: “And just like that doper can’t stop winning. What a disgrace to tennis”. Another fan marked a similar response saying that the World No. 1 “can afford so many magic potions now”, while one user alleged that Sinner’s thrilling performance was done “under influence.”

For those unaware, Sinner has been embroiled in a doping controversy since he twice tested positive for the banned anabolic, Clostebol, during his Indian Wells campaign earlier this year. Despite much hue and cry, the World No. 1 luckily dodged heavy charges after an independent tribunal ruled in his favor – citing ‘no guilt or negligence’ on his part. However, the Italian was stripped of his ranking points and prize money he earned at the ATP 1000 Masters event, but, that wasn’t good enough for fans and several players.

One fan took a jibe at the 23-year-old citing that Sinner’s $6 million prize money was “a nice amount to keep him going if he does end up getting hit with a ban”. Another user took a step further to iterate that his recent fortunes will likely help him “pay the ITIA so he cannot get the suspension that needed to happened in March.” After ducking a potential ban scare without facing the music, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) appealed for a sentence reversal for Sinner’s doping case. While the case was sanctioned to be decided again and, with it, Sinner expressed disappointment over it, fans are enraged that the final decision will not come out until March of next year, allowing the Italian to continue his ATP journey till then.

Regardless of fans’ outcry, Sinner has remained on course. The Italian has been focused on achieving his ATP quests and with multiple tour-level wins this season, the Italian will likely aim to bring laurels to his nation at the Davis Cup Final 8 in Malaga.