What is Jannik Sinner up to? The Italian delivered another Grand Slam and showed his dominance on the hard courts of Melbourne Park, defeating Alexander Zverev 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-3 to claim his second consecutive Australian Open title and third Grand Slam overall. The Italian controlled the match from the outset, striking winners with precision and controlling the pace of the match but Zverev pushed hard in the second set, forcing a tiebreak, However, Sinner’s mental strength didn’t waver as he won the set and kept his edge in the third. It’s safe to say that Sinner, the first man since Rafael Nadal at Roland Garros in 2006 to defend his maiden Grand Slam title, is becoming increasingly tough to beat. Meanwhile, an American Legend has joined the growing chorus suggesting that Sinner’s toughest opponent may not be across the net, but off-court.

Jannik Sinner’s name was cleared of the doping saga by an independent panel after he tested positive for the banned substance clostebol during the Indian Wells tournament back in April 2024. The world No. 1 accepted that traces of the drug appeared in his urine, but maintained he got contaminated unknowingly, as his physiotherapist used a spray containing clostebol to treat his own cut and then gave him a massage without gloves, resulting in contamination.

In a ruling that confirmed no fault or negligence on Sinner’s part, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) acknowledged his explanation as “credible.” However, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) disagreed, arguing that the finding of no fault or negligence was not aligned with the rules, and has since appealed the decision, seeking a ban ranging from one to two years. The case will next be heard by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on April 16–17, 2024, just weeks before the year’s second major kicks off. 

The 2003 US Open Champion, Andy Roddick on his Quick Served podcast reckons except for WADA, the Italian seems unstoppable: “Right now, Sinner’s biggest opponent is WADA,” Roddick remarked.

“You know you want to build up a three-slam resume and haven’t lost a set in the last two slams in the semis or the finals and lost maybe a sprinkling of two sets each on the way. He lost to Holger Rune here and lost one to Tristan Schoolkate and last year at US Open; Lost one to Mackenzie McDonald and Daniil Medvedev in the US Open. He barely loses. Even when he loses, it’s not that stressful about him coming back. It is not as if he loses a set and it’s like “Upset special.” It is not happening. You are getting fake enthusiasm for that. It’s just impressive, and I don’t solve for it. And you come here and assess for that; he has it all covered up,” Roddick further added.

Speaking to Betway before the Australian Open, Roddick had no hesitation in naming Jannik Sinner as the favorite but he also mentioned that this might be the last time we see Italian this year. “He’s the person that I think will win … there is the cloud of the WADA case over him, so there’s every chance that this is the last time we see him for six months or a year,” Roddick said.

With the threat of ban looming over him, Jannik Sinner, after his AO triumph, said he is not thinking much about the impending hearing.

Jannik Sinner not thinking about doping case after Australian Open triumph

Jannik Sinner, following his victory over Alexander Zverev, made history by becoming the first player since 1973 to claim 10 successive straight-sets victories against top-10 opponents. But except for the results, the Italian had a terrible time off the court with the doping Saga. As the impending case looms large, Sinner wants to live in the present, saying “I’m not thinking at the moment about this.”

The 23-year-old, who is also the first Italian man or woman to win three Grand Slam singles titles, added, “I just came off an amazing run again here. I want to enjoy this moment. Then it’s the hearing. We know now the dates, and that’s it.”

“I’m very proud. It’s actually tough to describe. Many, many things happen off the court, what you maybe don’t know. When I go on the court, even if sometimes it’s very difficult to block these kinds of things, I have the team and people who are close to me who trust me,” Sinner concluded.

But in spite of the tumultuous period, Sinner has shown steadiness in the last 8-9 months. He won the US Open joining a select group of four men in over 50 years to grab their first two major titles in one season. He also set a record as the youngest player to win both hard-court majors in a year. Sinner got to the top of the world rankings in men’s singles as well, becoming the first Italian man to do so.

How many more Grand Slams do you think Jannik Sinner will win in 2025? Let us know in the comments below.