Jannik Sinner has admitted that he’s been distracted by his doping saga despite going on a tear this season.
The world No. 1 picked up his seventh title of the year at the Shanghai Masters, beating Novak Djokovic 7-6(4) 6-3.
But he later confessed that he had “uncomfortable” moments where he “thought about” his doping case while on the court.
Sinner twice tested positive for the banned substance clostebol in March of this year. He received provisional suspensions but quickly appealed them with no pushback from the International Tennis Integrity Agency and was allowed to keep playing.
It meant news of his anti-doping violations only came to light in August after a tribunal ruled that he bore “no fault or negligence” as Sinner successfully explained that the tests were the result of contamination.
But the saga took a new twist when, late last month, the World Anti-Doping Agency confirmed they would appeal the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The news broke while Sinner was competing in Beijing.
He went on to lose in the final but triumphed in Shanghai less than two weeks later. Following his Shanghai Masters victory, the 23-year-old explained how difficult it had been to compete while the case had been rumbling on since March.
“Well, I know this year has been very, very tough for me because of other circumstances, and, you know, at points I lost a little bit of smile because I had some issues off the court, and then they’re still in my mind sometimes,” he said.
“So, it’s never easy to play in these kind of circumstances where I am in, but, you know, so I just tried to enjoy in the best possible way I can on the court. And, you know, obviously success is something great, and then it’s nice to say thanks to all the people who are working with me daily, who knows me more than most likely all the other people.
“So, I just try to stay very calm, and not making any problems if you miss shots or you get unlucky sometimes, you know, just trying to keep pushing with the best energy I have in that day. Every day’s a bit different, so I’m happy how I’m handling, you know, the situations on the court.
“I try to control what I can control, and that’s, for sure, the mind, and also the physical aspect you can control. But the rest, you know, you just have to believe, and trying to stay composed, and especially in important moments in a match.”
It’s something Sinner has played through since he was notified of the positive tests after his Miami Open win. But the Asian swing has arguably been more difficult as he learned of WADA’s appeal days before the news became public.
Explaining what it was like to try and compartmentalise everything and complete, he continued: “You know, people, they think that by winning or having success that you don’t have any problems, but it’s not true because the situation where I’m in, obviously, it’s not comfortable, and I wish I would not be in this position where I am right now off the court, and playing freely more on the court, and trying even to enjoy it a little bit more.
“But, you know, you have to accept it. I feel like that I’m strong when I go on the court, trying to don’t think about it, and trying to stay focused about everything I do, and I give a hundred per cent in every single, you know, match or practice, or when I wake up I try to be focused on every single thing I do.”
While the 23-year-old tries to forget the doping case while competing, it isn’t always possible.
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