Jannik
Sinner admitted to feeling fearful about his colleagues' reactions following
the
doping case he was involved in a few months ago. The World No. 1 opened up
in an honest interview with
Esquire, where he also revealed that Daniil
Medvedev was the rival who pushed him to improve his game and helped him take a
tactical step forward.
The Italian
tested positive twice for Clostebol in March during Indian Wells, but after his
appeal, the ITIA cleared him of any fault or negligence, avoiding a suspension.
The information only became public in August during the Cincinnati Open, and
Sinner recalled the anxiety he felt upon returning to the locker room after the
case.
Sinner
reveals the rival who transformed his game after a difficult doping saga
Sinner’s
controversial doping case was undoubtedly one of the key talking points of the
2024 ATP season. The Italian faced both criticism and support within the tennis
world. Although he was confident in his innocence, Sinner confessed to feeling
"fearful" when re-entering the locker room.
In a recent
interview with Esquire, the two-time Grand Slam champion reflected on
the difficult months he endured after learning about the positive tests for
Clostebol. “It was a
tough time,” Sinner admitted. “I couldn’t talk to anyone about it. I couldn’t
vent or get help. All the people who knew me and watched me play understood
that there was something wrong with me.
“I had
sleepless nights because even if you are certain of your innocence, you know
that these things are complex. Everyone immediately told the truth, and that
allowed me to play. But at Wimbledon, I was white.”
“And even
afterwards, my feeling with people was fearful. I went into training at the
Cincinnati clubhouse and thought, ‘How are they looking at me? What do they
really think of me?’ I realised who my real friends are,” he added. “I have
grown so much this year, both mentally and physically.”
Sinner won the Cincinnati Open after defeating Frances Tiafoe in the final (7-6, 6-2).
On the
other hand, the Italian reflected on his remarkable rise on the tour during
2024. In an extraordinary season, he secured 73 wins and only 6 losses,
claiming a total of 8 titles, including two Grand Slam titles, three Masters
1000s, and the ATP Finals.
Sinner
pinpointed
Daniil Medvedev as the rival who forced him to adapt his game to
achieve victory. The Russian held a 6-0 record against Sinner until late 2023,
when the Italian finally broke through with a win in the Beijing Open final.
Since then, Sinner has won 8 of their last 9 encounters, taking a lead in their
head-to-head with an 8-6 record (5-1 in 2024).
“My tennis
is versatile, but, for example, I still don’t know how to play the net game
well,” he commented. “A player who has made me grow a lot is Medvedev. I had
never done serve-and-volley, and he forced me to practise that to try to beat
him. Against some players, I have to do more of a long backhand.”
“In tennis,
you learn from your relationship with your opponent. The real question for the
player is: how do I get into the opponent’s head? If you guess the answer,
things in the match change.”
He also
mentioned the losses he suffered against the 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak
Djokovic as a motivation to improve. “For me, losing often to
Novak Djokovic
taught me a lot. It’s good for you; it wakes you up. In football, you might
play against Ronaldo and realise you have to prepare better next time. But when
is the next time? In tennis, we have more opportunities to make up for it.”