Heartbreak and hope. Those are the two words that come to mind when I think about Jannik Sinner‘s recent experience. After accepting a three-month ban on Saturday, the Italian star acknowledged “partial responsibility” for his team’s role in the two positive Clostebol tests at Indian Wells last year. The experience has clearly left its mark, with the Italian Tennis Federation President observing a shift in Sinner’s mindset.

In a conversation with ‘The Napolista’, the President of the Italian Tennis Federation, Angelo Binaghi, underscored the World No. 1’s plight when he discovered the Closetbol affair, “Jannik informed me of the agreement with Wada. Just as he had told me about the Clostebol case. We had discussed it in recent months. Objective achieved. And then I felt relief, even if the sense of injustice remains: the ordeal of having to endure this situation since last year was already an excessive punishment for Jannik. But in this way he saves Rome, the three Majors, the ATP Finals and remains in the running for the Grand Slam. Danger averted.”

The Federation’s President also iterated his message to Sinner after the announcement of his three-month ban was aired. “I wrote to him: I know it’s a great injustice, but you did very well to accept the agreement with Wada. He answered me with the emoji of the hands spliced. The maximum of Jannik’s expansiveness!”

According to him, Sinner – always a merry person, full of life – “turned off”, when ATP uncovered irregularities in his system. “I saw him turn off, saddened. But you’ll see, from the three months of stop he will come out more mature, more manly and stronger than before.” 

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) withdrew its appeal to the Court of Arbitration (CAS), seeking a decision reversal of his initial exoneration by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) that cleared him of all wrongdoing and helped him lift several high-profile titles – the US Open, ATP Finals, and the Australian Open – in recent months. The final trial of his doping case was set to be heard in April. However, WADA deleted those plans after reaching an agreement with the Italian sensation.

In a statement, WADA stated that although “Sinner did not intend to cheat,” he is still liable to serve a three-month suspension because he is responsible for the actions of his entourage. For those unaware, Sinner claimed that the prohibited steroid entered his system via massages and physiotherapy from his team members. To address the issue, the ATP ranking leader later split with physiotherapist Giacomo Naldi and personal trainer Umberto Ferrara, responsible for the contamination. However, navigating past this doping controversy negatively hit Sinner.

The good news is that suspension won’t derail the 23-year-old’s plans for a Grand Slam pursuit in the coming months. However, Sinner is set to miss four Masters 1000 events. He will be sidelined from the ‘Sunshine Double’ – Indian Wells and Miami Open – and the opening clay court event in Monte Carlo and Madrid. Moreover, this will have a damning impact on his ranking.

Before he is eligible for a comeback and return for his home Masters event in Rome after serving his suspension due to end on May 5, Sinner will have to forfeit 2100 ranking points for not defending his titles from last year.

The latest updates surrounding his doping saga have also sparked an intense controversy, not just among fans, but also players, who are now questioning the inconsistent rulings.

Nick Kyrgios, and Jessica Pegula, among others, ‘scared’ after Jannik Sinner’s doping case concludes

Moments after news of Jannik Sinner’s doping ban surfaced online, fans addressed their grievances with the system and questioned why he escaped severe punishment. In the past, we’ve seen high-profile players like Maria Sharapova and Simona Halep bear the consequences of their positive drug tests, despite claiming no fault of their own. Naturally, it wasn’t long before fellow competitors dished out their honest take on Sinner’s controversy.

World No. 5 and the member of the WTA Players’ Council, Jessica Pegula, cited irregularities in the ruling system as a catalyst for creating an unfair environment for players. She told the press in Dubai: “I think my reaction is that, whether you think he did or you don’t, or whatever side you’re on, the process just seems to be completely not a process. I don’t understand how that’s fair for players when there’s just so much inconsistency and you have no idea.”

“I don’t think any of the players trust the process at all right now. Zero. It’s just a horrible look for the sport,” she added. Belarusian Aryna Sabalenka, although refrained from commenting on Sinner’s case, stated that the incident has alerted her to stay more cautious. “…You just become too scared of the system. I don’t see how I can trust the system…”

Sinner’s loudest critic, Nick Kyrgios, also labelled the Italian sensation’s three-month as ‘unfair’ on X. “Guilty or not? Sad day for tennis. Fairness in tennis does not exist,” he wrote.

Overall, the community is juggling mixed emotions right now. Fans have already seen Sinner’s dominant rein on the tour, which, by far, is a consequence of his years of hard work and struggle. While his doping controversy might take a while to settle, it won’t be long before he returns to action and surprises his rivals with a reignited form.