Champion or cheat, the debate over Jannik Sinner will not end anytime soon, even as the 23-year-old Italian won the US Open with a flourish against Taylor Fritz in New York. If Aryna Sabalenka is the queen of hard courts in the 2024 tennis season., Sinner has done the same by winning the Australian Open and the US Open. A massive difference between the wins in Melbourne and noisy New York have been the circumstances under which Sinner has emerged tops. From a frosty relationship with colleagues in the locker room to Nick Kyrgios taking periodic swipes at Sinner, life has not been easy for the young man. After Mats Wilander, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic, Sinner is the fourth champion to win both the Australian Open and the US Open in the same year.
This has been a defining season for two youngsters who come like a whiff of fresh air – Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. Between the two Europeans, a Spaniard and Italian, they shared the four Majors, even though for Djokovic, winning the Paris 2024 Olympics gold was an emotional high. There is constant chatter in tennis circles, be it former champions who commentate on television or the social media experts as to how ‘Golden Oldies’ are part of history and Young Turks are ready to step up.
Sinner has faced the most difficult three weeks in his life since the time the ITIA, an independent testing agency, made it public that Sinner had tested for Closbetol, a steroid during the Indian Wells tournament in March. Doping is a topic which interests everyone. Despite scrutiny, Sinner was given a clean chit and allowed to compete at the US Open. The two days before the start of the season’s last Grand Slam were tough for Sinner. How he shut out all the negativity and caustic comments from players and fans reflects his inner strength plus his mentality. Indeed, Sinner did not show any signs of collapsing. If anything, his tennis was authoritative, though Sinner’s coach Darren Cahill broke down just after the triumph. As he said on air, the challenge was hard for his ward and to get through with this win was not easy.
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There is still a buzz if the WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) will take up the Sinner case, even though he was cleared. As a watchdog, the WADA can do anything. They are well within their rights to explore the Sinner case again and even approach the CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sport) if necessary. That they did not do it during the US Open fortnight was in itself a surprise. Or, maybe, they feel, the ITIA had done due diligence and dealt with the Sinner case in a proper way.
For the die-hard tennis fans, Sinner winning two Majors in 2024 is happy news. He was a big draw when he won the Australian Open in Melbourne this January. If you leave aside the “doping controversy,” Sinner’s results in 2024 have been top class. His record for the year is 55-5 and to have won the Cincinnati Open before the US Open showed he is in good space. Of course, he opted out of the Paris 2024 Olympics because of a throat infection diagnosed as tonsillitis.
“So many big wins for me this season, starting off with Australia,” said Sinner after winning the US Open. “Playing so well there gave me confidence. The work never stops. I know I can still improve, but you have to be proud with what you have and the rest you have to work for it. I can’t wait for my continued process,” said Sinner. He was very cautious when he spoke on the challenges ahead of the US Open and how he handled the negativity from players and public at the US Open. After all, when he played his first match, fans had staged a walkout in New York. “This title means so much; the last period of my career was not easy. There is my team who supports me every day, the people who are close to me,” he said.
As far as tennis records are concerned, Sinner won the US Open fair and square. And for all those who still want to look at him with suspicion, it will never end. To borrow legal jargon, Sinner is “not guilty until proven.” To win the last Major in 2024 and ensure he stays No.1 in rankings, Jannik Sinner is a real tough guy.