Jannik Sinner managed to stay in the headlines for multiple reasons in the 2024 season! He won 8 titles last year and guess what? 2 out of those 8 were Grand Slam (AO and the US Open) triumphs. However, there were a few off-the-court things that put him in real trouble. One among them was Sinner testing positive for the banned substance, Closetebol in March 2024. The ITIA initially found no fault or negligence towards Sinner, but later on, WADA lodged an appeal to the CAS. As things stand as of now, the trial is set to take place on February 11. What’s in store for Jannik Sinner in the upcoming days?
The American legend Andy Roddick has again showcased his strong support for the Italian amid all these controversies. Previously while speaking about Jannik Sinner’s doping controversy, he said, “I can’t believe for the life of me that he’d risk his career for something with no benefit.” Time and again, Roddick has had a go at Sinner’s critics, especially Nick Kyrgios.
Now in the recent episode of the ‘Served with Andy Roddick’ podcast, he again heaped praise on Jannik Sinner. Roddick said, “Sinner going in next year obvious elephant in the room WADA! Is he going to be suspended? I don’t know. As far as the game goes, came through at the US Open, and dominated the field. By the way, it wasn’t as if he dominated like a couple…he dominated the entire field start to finish and it wasn’t close. 73 wins 6 losses! He’s like yeah, I can volley better.“
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The former US Open champion further added, “There’s not much to be improved on. He’s a machine! Can he be better on clay? Probably! Does he need to be better on clay to win 8 majors? No. Can he win Wimbledon? Probably! Does he need even a Wimbledon to win 6 majors eventually? No.“
Jannik Sinner’s best performance at the French Open came in the last season when he reached the semis. However, at Wimbledon, he reached the SF in 2023. So, these two are currently the missing pieces from his puzzle! However, for now, what does Sinner desperately need? “Don’t get suspended!” said Roddick.
Andy Roddick has been one of the biggest supporters of Jannik Sinner in the last few months. Even when Sinner won the ATP Finals, he said, “I mean, I don’t know that we can over-compliment this guy on how he played this week. There were just no errors. Sure, he might miss a shot—maybe one or two a set—but they’re aggressive misses, and then he’s right back to work.” However, despite all these heroics in the last twelve months, some experts believe Jannik Sinner’s achievement will be “tainted” if drug ban is confirmed.
Tennis expert raises a deep concern surrounding Jannik Sinner
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Jannik Sinner is entering 2025 with a cloud of uncertainties hanging over him. Recently, Sky Sports’ lead commentator Jonathan Overend suggested Sinner’s heroics in 2024 might get overshadowed if the WADA appeal goes against him. “I think it really important to bring this up and to say that at times, it hasn’t felt totally comfortable watching Jannik Sinner achieve what he has done this year…In another world, in another sport, he may have been serving a ban so he would not have been able to win those trophies,” Overend said.
He further added, “If he does get banned, it’s not a good look for tennis. How they respond to that, I’m not sure. Sinner will deal with it, serve his time if he has to, but it will taint his achievements for this year, there is no doubt about that.“
However, in the same debate, Laura Robson highlighted how Jannik Sinner managed to block out these controversies and continue to dominate the men’s tour. She said, “He (Sinner) has such an ability to compartmentalize. How you can go on court with all of that hanging over your head and the timing of it as well?“
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Recently, even one of Jannik Sinner’s biggest rivals, Novak Djokovic also opened up on this issue. He weighed in on Nick Kyrgios’ controversial comments about Sinner by saying, “We live in a world where everyone has the right to express themselves, especially on social media. Nick has expressed himself very well about the entire Jannik doping case, and he is right about the transparency and incoherence of the protocols and the comparisons between the various cases.”
Do you agree with Novak Djokovic’s thoughts on Jannik Sinners doping controversy? Share your thoughts in the comments below.