Why Jannik Sinner won’t bite back at Nick Kyrgios’ barbs

Jannik Sinner remains in the dark on Australian Open eve about when his anti-doping appeal hearing will occur – but insists he has done nothing wrong and doesn’t need to justify himself to his critics.

The World Anti-Doping Agency appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in September against the International Tennis Integrity Agency’s finding of “no fault or negligence” for Sinner after he returned two positive tests for clostebol.

Jannik Sinner fronts the media.Credit: AP

“I know exactly as much as you guys know. We are in a stage where we don’t know many things,” Sinner said.

“You think about this, of course. I would lie if I would tell you I forget … it’s something what I have with me now already for quite a long time. But it is what it is. I’m here trying to prepare [for] the grand slam. Let’s see how it goes.”

Sinner forfeited $US325,000 ($524,278) in prizemoney and 400 ranking points from the Indian Wells tournament in March, but did not serve any ban because of that ITIA decision.

The ITIA accepted the world No.1’s explanation that the banned substance entered his system unintentionally through a massage from his physiotherapist, who was using a healing spray containing the steroid to treat his own cut finger.

WADA is requesting a ban of between one and two years for Sinner, but is not seeking any further disqualification of results.

Australia’s Nick Kyrgios continues to be a vocal critic of the ITIA’s finding, and suggested in Brisbane in late December that Sinner had “tried to cheat the process”. Sinner said on Friday he would not address Kyrgios’ criticism or any other players’ comments on the situation.

Novak Djokovic was disappointed that Sinner’s peers were “kept in the dark” for five months while the investigation was ongoing. The ITIA did not make the Italian’s provisional suspension public in that period because he appealed inside 10 days of being notified of both his positive tests.

Sinner still produced one of the greatest seasons ever despite everything going on in the background, winning two grand slams, eight titles overall and finishing with an extraordinary 73-6 record.

“How do I block it? It’s not that you just put it in a part and you just say, ‘I don’t think any more about this’,” he said.

“In my mind, I know exactly what happened, and that’s how I block it. I haven’t done anything wrong. That’s why I’m still here. That’s why I’m still playing.

“I don’t want to respond on what Nick said or what other players say. I think the most important part is to have my people around me who … know what happened.”

Three-time Australian Open runner-up Daniil Medvedev, who lost last year’s final to Sinner, said on Friday it would be interesting to see “the energy” if Sinner and Kyrgios were to cross paths.

Jannik Sinner after winning the 2024 Australian Open.Credit: AP

Sinner also said he was no more cautious about taking medicine or with his diet than previously because he had always been stringent about those matters.

“Before, I was very, very careful on every single medicine I take, even what I eat,” he said.

“When the bottle is open, I throw it away, [and] I take a new one. I was always very, very careful about this stuff.”

Australia’s Alex de Minaur is a close friend of Sinner’s and did not comment on the case, but said he was impressed with how the dual grand slam champion had dealt with the situation.

“I think the way he’s handled everything has been pretty remarkable with everything that’s been going on behind the scenes,” de Minaur told this masthead.

“The way he’s been able to still lock in and play some of his best tennis is pretty amazing.”

Meanwhile, five-time major champion and world No.2 Iga Swiatek said her own anti-doping saga was “probably ... the worst time in my life”.

Swiatek missed three events during her provisional suspension, but hers was also kept private because she appealed within 10 days of being notified of her positive test for trimetazidine.

She successfully argued that the contamination occurred from her melatonin sleeping pills, but still served a 30-day ban – 22 of which were served during her provisional suspension.

Swiatek had told everyone that she was sidelined for “personal reasons” before her ban became public.

“The first three weeks, I would say, were pretty chaotic. There was no way to have any answers to the questions,” Swiatek said.

“We were just focused on finding the source, but I’ve got to say, for sure, it wasn’t easy. It was probably, like, the worst time in my life.

“The fact that I had no control over this whole situation, and I had no chance to avoid it, made it even worse because I’m a control freak a little bit.

“Just having the feeling that everything that I kind of built can be taken away so quickly because of something you have no control over was pretty crazy for me and really abstract.”

Watch all the Australian Open action live on Nine, 9Now and Stan from Sunday, January 12.

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