THE US Open kicked off on Monday, but what “loomed over the last Grand Slam of the year” was the recent announcement that the number one men’s tennis player, Jannik Sinner, had failed two drug tests this spring, but had been cleared and would not be suspendedaccording to Ava Wallace of the WASHINGTON POST. Sinner, in his first public comments on the case, said: “The only thing I just need right now, just some fresh air.” But Wallace wrote Tuesday that Sinner, who plays American Mackie McDonald, “might not find that easily in New York.” Sinner enters the US Open “firmly leading the next generation of men’s tennis superstars.” But his case “sparked controversy” because the announcement of his resolution was “the first time the public had heard of his failed tests.” This led some players to “question whether Sinner received favorable treatment because of his status in the sport”, both in the sense that the matter was “kept secret and that he was allowed to continue playing”. Other players have been “suspended or banned while their appeals are reviewed.” Sinner said the fact that he and his team “quickly identified how the substance got into his system made the difference” in why he was allowed to compete. But Wallace notes that his explanation “did not allay questions about why his case was kept so closely secret.” Most players interviewed about the matter ahead of the US Open said they “trusted the results of the investigation” but “expressed dissatisfaction with the fairness of the system and the transparency of the matter” (WASHINGTON POST, 08/26).
