"The way Jannik Sinner has dealt with it at 23 has been exceptional" - Italian's coach Simone Vagnozzi on 'rollercoaster' doping saga
Jannik Sinner’s doping row had left a bad taste in the mouth for many tennis fans. The Italian, however, was quick to bounce back with a second Grand Slam title at the 2024 US Open.
Sinner had tested positive for Clostebol, a banned steroid during the Indian Wells tournament in March this year. The International Tennis Integrity Agency, however, confirmed that Sinner had been cleared of doping allegations by the independent tribunal as they found his explanation of being contaminated by a team member credible.
Sinner's coach, Simone Vagnozzi, believes that his charge handled the entire situation fairly well despite his young age. Speaking via Puntodebreak.com in an interview on September 12, Vagnozzi, who had won the ATP Coach of the Year award last year, said Sinner had no “guilt” after the failed test.
Knowing that he was not at fault helped Sinner handle the situation better, according to Vagnozzi. However, the Italian's coach still conceded that the situation was far from ideal, describing it “roller coaster of emotions”.
“Not having any guilt and being aware of it was the most important aspect to overcome that long and complicated period. It has been a roller coaster of emotions, but the way he has dealt with it at 23 years old has been exceptional," Sinner's coach said.
Sinner was stripped of his Indian Wells ranking points and prize money after testing positive for Clostebol earlier in the year. The authorities ruled against a sanction as Sinner was able to appeal for his case saying that his physiotherapist, Giacomo Naldi, had used a spray containing Clostebol and later administered massages to the World No. 1, which caused the contamination.
"You cannot control people, you have to follow your own path" - Jannik Sinner's coach on reactions to doping row
Jannik Sinner had also come under attack from the likes of Nick Kyrgios, who criticized the leniency meted out to him in the judgment in the lead-up to the US Open.
Simone Vagnozzi, however, maintained a positive outlook on the response that he and the team received from the tennis fraternity. Without naming anyone, Vagnozzi said a few players had been critical of Sinner, but was quick to dismiss it as their personal opinion.
Further defending Sinner, Vagnozzi mentioned that everyone around the Tour knows Sinner and the kind of person that he was.
"He did not suffer too many attacks from his teammates (I must say few, three or four)," Jannik Sinner's coach said. "You cannot control people, you have to follow your own path," he said.
"Everyone knows what a boy Jannik is and, in any case, it was enough to read the newspapers to understand what happened,” he added.
Sinner beat Taylor Fritz in the US Open final to capture his second Grand Slam title, having won the Australian Open back in January.