Jannik Sinner leaves Melbourne and is considered a great potential for tennis, but first comes an audience on his doping case in the highest sports court which could see him suspended up to two years.
The Italian beat Alexander Zverev 6-3, 7-6 (7/4), 6-3 Sunday during a confrontation between the best heads of series to win the Australian Open twice in a row and consolidate his worldwide world number status. A.
He also won the US Open last year, quickly establishing a size file.
But the 23 -year -old career has been weighed down for nine months by a major doping scandal which should soon succeed.
It was tested positive twice for traces of Clostebol in March of last year, but was innocent by an independent court.
The World Anti -Doping Agency called upon the Sports Arbitral Tribunal (CAS) and requests a suspension of up to two years.
The Italian, who knowingly denies doping, will be heard on April 16 and 17.
Sinner says that the drug entered his body when his physio used a spray containing to treat a cut, then provided massages and sports therapy to the player.
Sinner, who is on an amazing sequence of 21 consecutive victories, said that he was clear in himself that he was innocent, but admitted that the case was never far from his mind.
One of his two coaches, Darren Cahill, told Melbourne that “nobody is in the test of bullets”, but that Sinner “manages that as well as anyone I have ever seen facing pressure “.
“I think that to a large extent, he considers that playing tennis matches is his safe place,” added Cahill.
“This is where he can go to do his thing and feel that it is what he knows, that’s what he understands, that’s what he’s good for.
“It has become for him a home where he can enter the field and play tennis.”
– aim more –
The next Grand Chelem of the year is the French Open, which begins in May, a month after the hearing of the CAS.
Sinner is the indisputable king of hard shorts but he has not yet exceeded the semi-finals on the clay of Roland Garros or on the Wimbledon lawn.
“This is certainly something I still think of,” said Sinner after his last triumph at the Australian Open.
“You have to be a full player, not only on a surface, but also on the other two.
“I think last year was not a bad season at all on clay and also on lawn. I can do better, yes, but let’s see.
“On a hard time, I feel more comfortable. I think we can see,” he added after having become the youngest man to present himself consecutively to Melbourne Park from Jim Courier in 1993.
“But I take it as positive because on the other surfaces I still have to improve myself, I have to see how it works.
“I’m going to devote a lot of energy to it, try to find the right paths, and I hope to go far in the other Grand Chelem tournaments that are not played on hard ground.”
– Another Djokovic? –
Sinner’s other coach Simone Vagnozzi stressed that Sinner still had all the time to defend his greatness given his age.
He is 14 years younger than Novak Djokovic, 24 times Grand Chelem champion, who still plays.
Zverev described Sinner as “best novak” after being widely beaten in the final on Sunday.
The big names now retired Roger Federer (20 large chelems) and Rafael Nadal (22) also continued until the middle or at the end of the thirties.
“He has already won three (adult) tournaments. You never know what will happen in the future, but it is certainly the guy who tries to improve every day,” said Vagnozzi.
“So I think it is one of the guys who can reach the highest level. I mean, when we talk about high level, we think of Novak, Roger or Rafa.
“We are still far from the way, but it is certainly one of the guys who can try to reach this kind of player.”
MP-PST/DHC
