Jannik Sinner advances to the US Open, his first match since the verdict in the doping case was announced

CNN
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Jannik Sinner said it “took me a while to get into the rhythm,” but the world number one in men's tennis advanced to the second round of the US Open with a 2-6, 6-2, 6-1, 6-2 win over American Mackenzie McDonald.

His victory on Tuesday in New York was Sinner's first match since his doping case became public last week – news that shocked the tennis world. Sinner, who avoided a ban after twice testing positive for traces of a banned substance, said he had done nothing wrong.

In the second round on Thursday he will face another American, Alex Michelsen.

After his match against McDonald, Sinner told reporters he was “excited to see what the reaction of the fans will be.”

“But it was very positive,” said the Italian. “I was very happy about the support, even though I'm playing against an American. It's a bit different.”

“I'm happy with how I handled those situations; it wasn't easy. I think I can take a lot of positives from (today) and so we'll wait and see what happens in the next round.”

On August 20, it was announced that Sinner had avoided a ban despite testing positive twice for the anabolic steroid clostebol.

Sinner first tested positive for clostebol in a sample taken on March 10 in Indian Wells. Another sample taken eight days later also tested positive, also in small amounts. Sinner said the amount was less than a billionth of a gram.

It was ruled that Sinner bore “no fault or negligence”. Sinner stated that the positive tests were due to “accidental contamination with clostebol” during treatment by his physiotherapist.

The 2024 Australian Open winner also said his physiotherapist Giacomo Naldi applied an over-the-counter spray to Naldi's own skin – not Sinner's – to treat a small wound.

On Friday, Sinner said he had separated from Naldi and fitness coach Umberto Ferrara because of the incident.

Normally, a player is automatically provisionally suspended after a positive test. However, according to the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), he has the right to request that this provisional suspension be lifted by an independent tribunal chair appointed by Sport Resolutions.

In both cases, the ITIA said, Sinner successfully appealed the provisional suspension, which resulted in him being able to continue playing while his case remained under the radar.

“I think the reaction from the fans has been great,” Sinner said of what it felt like to go public with this revelation.

“When the news came out, there was a lot of support during training sessions, which I am very happy and pleased about.

“It's still a little bit, you know, not easy. … Of course, I'm very happy to be here in the position that I'm in and then really try to take it day by day.”

Sinner was asked on Tuesday what he had heard from other players and what the reactions had been in the locker room.

“Yeah, there's some reaction,” Sinner told reporters. “You know, I can't really control what they think and what they say. … I can't control the players' reaction, and if I have something to say to somebody, I'll speak privately because that's the kind of person I am. But overall, it wasn't bad. So I'm happy with it.”