Jannik Sinner, top seed, arrives in New York as a leading contender for his second Grand Slam title at the US Open. Yet, his doping controversy now dominates the tennis world before the tournament.
World No. 1 Sinner tested positive for low levels of a banned steroid, clostebol, during Indian Wells in March. A second test eight days later also showed the same substance.
The Italian player, aged 23, was suspended but later allowed to continue playing after successfully disputing the decision. Sinner claimed he was contaminated by his physiotherapist, who used an over-the-counter spray containing clostebol.
The ITIA cleared Sinner of fault or negligence after accepting his explanation of inadvertent contamination. The tests detected less than a billionth of a gram of clostebol.
Sinner was punished: lost 400 ranking points and $325,000 prize money at Indian Wells.
Sinner is ready to move on, but some peers, like Kyrgios, don't believe the explanation and are disappointed with the short suspension.
Denis Shapovalov criticized authorities for their inconsistency. Maria Sharapova, a top tennis player, tested positive for meldonium in 2016, which was newly banned. She was cleared of intentional doping but still received a 15-month ban.
British player Liam Broady criticized the lack of due process in allowing Sinner to keep playing for the past five months during the investigation instead of serving a provisional suspension.
Broady's point worth addressing: Sinner may not have intentionally doped, as indicated by the small amount of clostebol detected. Despite this, he has been allowed to compete, gain ranking points, and earn money, while others in similar situations have been banned.
Between the failed tests and the investigation's conclusion, Sinner accomplished a lot. He played 8 ATP tournaments, competed in the Olympics, won 3 titles, earned 4,500 ATP points, and made nearly $4.5 million. Without those points, he'd be ranked No. 5 and face a harder path in the US Open.
Instead, it would have been Djokovic and Alcaraz vying for the top ranking before the US Open. Spare a thought for Dimitrov, Hurkacz, and Tiafoe, who lost to Sinner in important finals, costing them trophies and ranking points before Grand Slams.
The ATP wants to avoid this ongoing situation taking the spotlight before the US Open, especially since this season has seen significant changes with Sinner. However, Sinner's special treatment has reminded people of the ITIA's alleged inconsistencies, and as the world's top player, this will be an unwanted distraction in New York.