Jannik Sinner has been scripting worrisome headlines lately. As it is the Italian star is facing backlash from fans for his ongoing doping saga. And now, his on-court performance is skating on thin ice. The World No. 1 is battling it out with arch-rival Carlos Alcaraz for the China Open title. However, as fate would it, Sinner’s formidability has been put to the ultimate test by the Spaniard in Beijing. This, in turn, has elicited a stressful reaction from the Italian’s girlfriend, Anna Kalinskaya.

After pocketing the opening set, facing much resistance, Sinner woke up from his slumber. But, fans jumped the gun too soon. Alcaraz was quick to pounce back, leveling the match by clinching the second set. With a decider ensured, tensions were rising. Lending more stress into the already tense atmosphere in Beijing, WTA superstar Kalinskaya notably bit her nails as the thrilling encounter between the duo extended – pun intended. There’s no surprise that the Russian player is worried, after all, she is known to enthusiastically cheer on her lover during his adventures on the Tour.

Sinner has benefitted from the support of his girlfriend Kalinskaya in Beijing. Notably, the former World No. 25 cheered on her lover from the courtside during his quarterfinal date with Jiri Lehecka. The Russian also lifted the 23-year-old’s morale during his US Open campaign, wherein he successfully added his season’s second Grand Slam crown to his resume. Regardless, the two-time Major champion is struggling on the court.

The Italian star noticeably felt discomfort in his knees after closing gaping Alcaraz in the first set. Subsequently, with fans speculating another injury scare, Sinner’s upcoming Davis Cup Final 8 commitment could be under threat. Moreover, Novak Djokovic also dropped an honest admission on the young talent’s doping nightmare, adding his opinion to the already troubled situation.

Novak Djokovic believes Jannik Sinner’s doping case isn’t helping tennis

Serbian superstar Novak Djokovic chimed in on the season’s ‘hot topic’ involving Jannik Sinner. The World No. 1 twice tested positive for the banned anabolic, Clostebol, at the Indian Wells Masters. Despite stripping him of his ranking points and prize money from the tournament and later, enjoying a non-guilty verdict from an independent tribunal, Sinner is facing the music after an appeal into his doping case was recently filed by WADA.

Taking such recent developments into account, the Serb acknowledged that the situation must be difficult for the young talent at the Shanghai Masters. The 24-time GS champion hoped for a quick resolution and praised Sinner’s fortitude to stay focused on the court. “Hopefully, we can go back to tennis and, I mean, it’s impressive what he was been doing, in the whole process of what’s been happening, that he’s playing such a high level, winning Grand Slam and, you know, winning most of the matches that he plays. But, this situation or these circumstances are not positive for our sport, so hopefully we can resolve this case as soon as possible.”

For those unaware, Djokovic is the co-founder of the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA). The organization aims at voicing indiscrepencies in the circuit and, with it, bids to call for amends in regulations potentially hardful for players. With Nole’s take on the Italian’s situation, chances are, that PTPA raises concerns about the ‘inconsistencies’ in tennis’ anti-doping system.