Jannik Sinner has been at the top of his career, bagging the year-ending World No. 1 position and 2 Grand Slam titles. However, things got on the rough end when Jannik Sinner’s doping case came to light.
On August 20, soon after the US Open, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) announced that Sinner had twice tested positive for clostebol, a banned anabolic steroid, in March 2024. The ITIA charged Sinner with violating Article 2.1 and Article 2.2 of the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme (TADP).
As expected, the news spread like wildfire, with many prominent tennis players, analysts, and insiders commenting on the entire fiasco. Now, another prominent tennis professional, Andrey Rublev, has commented on what Sinner has gone through in all these months and still managed to maintain his World Number 1 position.
As per Andrey Rublev, he doesn’t wish any player to go through what Jannik Sinner’s gone through this past year. He further went on to talk about Sinner’s mental well-being during the investigation period and the stress and anxiety he felt during this “entire period.”
He even went ahead to heap praises upon the World No. 1, highlighting how he managed to dominate the circuit and play at his best level despite all the criticism coming his way.
Andrey Rublev said, “You can’t wish any player to go through this. I can’t imagine the stress or anxiety he felt during this entire period. He managed very well; he continued to play at his best level and managed to dominate the circuit despite everything by winning titles. It’s very impressive. Anti-doping authorities have been criticized for being slow to reveal this positive test dating from March and for the lightness of the sanctions imposed. Do you share these views?”
Rublev even opened up on the anti-doping system and how it can implement a few more changes to make it more “understandable.”
Rublev concluded, “I think the anti-doping system should be a little more understandable. In tennis, the rules are super strict, more so than in other sports. I feel like every little mistake, even when it’s unintentional, can threaten your career.”
With that being said, Jannik Sinner is currently preparing to defend his Australian Open title. Would he be able to bag another Grand Slam title in 20925, or can Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz finally dethrone the champion? Well, only time will tell.
