Jannik Sinner’s US Open victory unfolded a new chapter in his professional career. The young star added his name to the list of legends by achieving two grand slams at such a young age. However, when it comes to the reputation of a player, not everything is determined by the victories. It’s been a long time since Sinner’s doping saga was unveiled. Although a majority of the top names have offered their perspectives on the matter, Casper Ruud’s fresh perspective walked in a bit late but has reignited the whole debate.

In an interview with TV2, the Norwegian ATP star expressed his belief in Sinner’s innocence and encouraged people to read the full 33-page report released by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) to understand the case thoroughly. “If you have read the documents and understand the process in this type of case, then you understand that there is no discrimination here,” he said.

Ruud also highlighted the speed and clarity with which Sinner responded to the allegations. “What Sinner has done well, to defend himself, is that he managed to find an explanation within 15 days after testing positive. He understood quite quickly where it came from,” he added.

Sinner, who tested positive for a small amount of Clostebol, an anabolic steroid, acted quickly to explain how he came in contact with the banned substance, and the Independent Tribunal, looking into the matter, found the explanation satisfactory.

According to Ruud, the fact that Sinner responded within just two weeks is rare, as a majority of the accused players struggle to defend themselves under such circumstances. Ruud also said that the timely response was a testament to Sinner’s honesty and should clear up any hanging doubts regarding the Italian star’s involvement in the case. While Ruud’s statement was in all good senses to back a co-player’s integrity, not everyone seemed to agree with it. Some of the fans who had a go at Ruud were, interestingly, Novak Djokovic’s fans.

Novak Djokovic fans lash out at Ruud’s comment over Jannik Sinner’s doping saga

As Casper Ruud’s comments made their way to social media and gathered attention, the fans straightaway bashed the player with rebuttals and justifications. “This is ridiculous. Makes him out to be some kind of amazing hero,” one of the fans wrote on X, expressing his unhappiness over Ruud’s comments.

Another fan didn’t seem to like the reasons that Ruud listed to back Sinner’s authenticity. He wrote, “Ruud made very bad point…now many of them should approach and say YES I KNOW I USED FORBIDEN THING… And they will be ok.” The Norwegian’s comment was based on the fact that Sinner didn’t take long to present a response, but that wasn’t worthy enough to prove the point that he was innocent, according to the fan.

One netizen simply slammed Ruud with a note of better expectations, as he stated, “Barf. I expected better from Ruud!” Ruud’s statement seems to have gone against his own image as a player, as the fact that he came forward to support Sinner is not getting appreciated widely.

Meanwhile, a fan directly overshadowed the overall array of achievements by Sinner so far. “He’s done nothing well and no hero like they’re making him out to be – The whole thing is corrupt,” the fan wrote. Sinner’s rise to the top included a victory at the Australian Open, followed by another win in Miami and now the US Open. Despite these massive feats, the fact that he faced doping allegations seems to have overweighed everything, at least in the opinion of a few fans.

Another fan countered Ruud’s claim of Sinner coming up with a viable response in just 15 days. “Serious question, how did Ruud count the 15 days? The decision states Sinner was informed of the 1st suspension on the 4th of Apr, and his team appealed successfully the same day,” the fan wrote. Digging deep into the case, it was on March 10th that the ITIA came up with a report of Clostebol’s presence in the Italian’s samples. However, there is still confusion revolving around the actual date.

Another fan probably didn’t get the motive behind Ruud’s statement. While the Norwegian tried to support his co-player, the fan counted it as an alibi used to disorient the attention of the fans. “It’s not an explanation. It was an alibi. Well thought out before the strategy is in full motion,” the fan wrote.

As Ruud’s statement on Sinner’s doping saga failed to create a turning impact on the fans, it can be said that the debate still lingers unanswered, with fans divided into two sections. What’s your opinion on this whole doping controversy?