August 21, (THEWILL) – Jannik Sinner, the world’s top-ranked tennis player, overcame injury issues to win the recent Cincinnati tournament. However, he arrives at the US Open facing a cloud of controversy after it was revealed that he avoided suspension despite testing positive for a banned substance months ago.
The Italian player’s positive test results from March were accepted by an independent tribunal as being due to contamination, clearing him of wrongdoing. Sinner maintained his innocence and stated he will put the “challenging and deeply unfortunate period” behind him.
The news, which came just days before the US Open, was described as “surprising and shocking” by seven-time major winner and ESPN analyst John McEnroe. Some of Sinner’s fellow players expressed their frustration, with Canadian Denis Shapovalov questioning what other players who were banned for contaminated substances must be feeling.
Sinner’s 2024 season has been a rollercoaster, beginning with his maiden major victory in Australia and a triumph in Miami, but then being hampered by a hip injury that caused him to miss several tournaments, including the Olympics.
Despite the controversy and injury concerns, Sinner showed he could still find form by beating American Frances Tiafoe in Cincinnati. He will now hope to find his best level at the US Open as he faces top contenders, including Spanish rival Carlos Alcaraz and the newly-crowned Olympic champion, Novak Djokovic, who is seeking a record 25th Grand Slam title.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
