Jannik Sinner is not known as one of the most expressive characters on the tennis scene.
Despite this, the Italian world number one’s more moderate demeanour was particularly evident throughout his journey to the US Open title.
Subdued celebrations and increased attention were the result of Sinner’s involvement in a doping controversy that rocked the tennis world to its core.
In the week leading up to the final Grand Slam tournament of the season in New York, it was revealed that Sinner had twice failed drug tests earlier this year.
Sinner, 23, was diagnosed with low levels of clostebol – a banned anabolic steroid – but was judged without fault or negligence by an independent tribunal.
“It was obviously very difficult for me to enjoy certain moments,” Sinner said after beating Taylor Fritz to win the US Open on Sunday.
“Also, the way I behaved or walked on the court in some tournaments before was not the same as before, so those who know me better know that something was wrong.”
Over the past two weeks, he has tried to put the subject on the back burner. The difficult beginning has turned into a triumphant ending.
But the case has sparked much debate and many questions have not gone away.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), which sets the list of banned substances, told BBC Sport it was “continuing to review” whether to appeal the decision that Sinner had committed no fault.
Even if Wada does not appeal, Sinner’s second Grand Slam victory will continue – for many people – to be shrouded in a heavy cloud.
It’s not easy to recover from reputational damage.
British doubles player Tara Moore, also found without fault or negligence in a doping case, described the “degradation” of her reputation during the 19 months she was not allowed to play as she fought to clear her name.
In the same way, British athlete Paula Radcliffe And Australian swimmer Ian Thorpe – superstar names in their fields – felt they had been “tarnished” by being wrongly accused of doping in major stories of their time.
Although Sinner has been cleared of any wrongdoing, he will never be free from the suspicion and skepticism that still lingers in some quarters.
“As with any player who tests positive, there will be a cloud and doubt over him for the rest of his career,” said investigative journalist Edmund Willison, whose Honest Sport Website specializing in sports doping stories.
“It will probably always be in the rear window.”
Locker room concerns remain over Sinner affair
The way Sinner’s case was handled has given rise to accusations that the world number one received special treatment.
Questions have been raised about the speed of the resolution, why Sinner avoided an interim ban and how the case was kept secret.
When the news broke, several of Sinner’s peers on the ATP Tour reacted negatively, feeling that he had been treated differently.
A provisional suspension was applied after each positive test. But Sinner, who claimed £2.75 million for his US Open win and has lucrative endorsement deals with Nike and Gucci, had the advantage of being able to afford specialist legal representation.
He escaped suspension because he successfully appealed the decision by providing what the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) deemed a “credible explanation”.
Former Australian Wimbledon finalist Nick Kyrgios – himself a polarising figure – continues to be a leading critic, while Britain’s Liam Broady said he had “questioned a lot of things” in the Sinner story.
At a meeting of the ATP Tour Player Advisory Council in New York, locker room representatives took the opportunity to “discuss the role of the ITIA” in the matter.
There have also been calls for greater “consistency” from Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer in how each case – regardless of the player’s ranking or wealth – is handled.
Allegations that Sinner was treated differently from others are strongly refuted by ITIA.
“All anti-doping cases are different, but the process is always consistent, and this case was dealt with based on the facts, not the player’s ranking,” an ITIA spokesperson told BBC Sport.
ITIA said it was pleased with the explanation Sinner and his team provided quickly, and the agency’s scientific experts were also pleased that it was plausible.
“There is independent expert analysis throughout any anti-doping process and the decision is made by an independent tribunal (outside the sport),” the ITIA added.
“We are confident that this matter has been handled in accordance with the rules.”
A fisherman involved in the “clostebol crisis” in Italian sport
As the world’s top men’s player and one of the faces tennis is pinning its hopes on to generate interest in its post-superstar world, seeing Sinner become the centre of a doping controversy was not a good thing.
The 23-year-old tested positive twice in March for clostebol, a steroid that can be used to build muscle mass and improve athletic performance.
An investigation by ITIA revealed that Sinner had been inadvertently contaminated with the anabolic steroid by physiotherapist Giacomo Naldi.
Clostebol is an active ingredient contained in a dermatological cream or spray called Trofodermin, used to treat skin scrapes, cuts and wounds – and readily available over the counter in Italy.
Sinner and his team successfully argued that Naldi had applied Trofodermin – given to him by Sinner’s fitness coach Umberto Ferrara, who is a qualified pharmacist – to a cut on his own hand and then carried out treatments on the player.
“In my mind, I know I did nothing wrong,” Sinner said at his pre-US Open news conference.
According to Italian law, the packaging of Trofodermin must bear a visible symbol indicating the presence of a substance on the Wada list of prohibited substances.
Despite warnings, several Italian athletes – in tennis, football and athletics – have still tested positive for clostebol in recent years.
Sinner, who praised the professionalism of Naldi and Ferrera before announcing that he was no longer “confident” in working with them because of their “mistakes”, became the fifth Italian tennis player to have clostebol in his system.
Although clostebol alone is not expected to have a huge effect on a player, Willison is generally concerned that it could be a sign of a deeper, more sophisticated program.
“Italy has clearly been in the midst of a clostebol crisis of one form or another for much of the last decade. A decade during which methods for detecting clostebol have become more sensitive,” wrote Willison, who wrote an in-depth article on the subject, told BBC Sport.
“Of course, each case must be treated individually.
“But in the reasoned decision in the Sinner case, there is no explicit reference to the other four cases of clostebol in Italian tennis, and I believe this provides important context.”
