Jannik Sinner is certainly facing some of the most challenging moments of his career. After his impressive victory at the Cincinnati Masters, the Italian dynamo likely hoped to ride that wave of confidence straight into the US Open. But just as he was gaining momentum, a doping controversy threw a wrench into his plans. Despite the turmoil, Sinner has kept his cool, handling the situation with remarkable composure. Even when faced with sharp criticism from one of tennis’ most outspoken players, Nick Kyrgios, Sinner’s response has been nothing short of calm and measured, showing his resilience in these testing times.

Sinner advanced to the third round of the US Open after defeating Alex Michelsen in straight sets, 6-4, 6-0, 6-2. Soon after the match, he engaged in an interview with the journalists, where he was questioned about his take on the criticism he faced from Nick Kyrgios over the doping controversy. The World No.1 seemed to keep his calm intact and gave a measured response. 

Speaking in the interview, Sinner said, “I don’t want to respond on what he said. Everyone is free to say everything. It’s ok. If that is the case, let’s see. It’s gonna be different for sure (laughing). I don’t know what to say.” Remember, Sinner tested positive twice for low levels of a metabolite of clostebol during the Indian Wells, which is a banned anabolic steroid. However, the ruling of the independent tribunal went in his favor. 

It was found that Sinner’s physio Giacomo Naldi had used an over-the-counter spray containing Clostebol to treat a cut on his own finger. Then, he treated Sinner without gloves, which eventually resulted in the passing of the substance to his body. While the star player was let go with a fine, he received immense backlash from the tennis community, with Kyrgios being one of them. 

After the ruling, Kyrgios took to his X and demanded stringent punishments for the Italian player. “Ridiculous – whether it was accidental or planned,” he wrote. “You get tested twice with a banned (steroid) substance… you should be gone for 2 years,” Kyrgios added. But Sinner denied making any comments to avoid more controversy.  

Chatting further in the interview, Sinner said that he prefers forgetting things quickly and moving on over controversies. “Maybe I say something now and then the reaction will be something else. I’m always quite relaxed.” But while the 23-year-old is depicting immense maturity, he was equally troubled by the controversy.

When Jannik Sinner’s coach reflected upon the Italian’s troubles

Jannik Sinner had a stark clean record on the courts so far before the doping controversy came to light. However, the latest controversy brought extensive criticism to the young player with the majority of tennis enthusiasts slamming him over the matter. But even in such adverse situations, his coach Darren Cahill did not fail to extend his support.

On a recent appearance on ESPN, Cahill firmly stated, “Jannik would never do anything like that intentionally. It’s an unfortunate situation, but the truth came out.” Continuing further, he highlighted the troubles that Sinner faced due to the controversy. “You would have seen a big change in his physicality and excitement to be on the court, it wore him down physically and mentally, he got tonsillitis (and) missed the Olympics. We’re not looking for any sorrow. Just thankful there is no ban attached,” Cahill added.

As the tournament progresses, it would be interesting to see if Sinner can come out of these criticisms and wing big. Will his relationship with Kyrgios strain further? Well, only time will tell.