Australian Open 2025: Jannik Sinner passes his first test

Jannik Sinner was nervous about being heckled by the Australian Open crowd. Nothing to fear there.

Jannik Sinner plays a backhand against Nicolas Jarry in during his opening victory

Jannik Sinner has bags under his eyes. Probably Armani. The stylish Italian drives fancy automobiles and wears luxurious suits and appears in glossy magazines and enjoys all the finer trimmings of a millionnaire’s fanciful life but he’s clearly stressed by a likely sorrowful exit from his sport in April. Goodbye, cruel world.

Sinner appears guilty of accidental doping. The problem with being guilty of accidental doping is that you’re guilty of actual doping, and even if the whole thing is the fault of a couple of dopes on your staff, the fitness trainer Umberto Ferrarra and physiotherapist Giacomo Naldi, who delivered the foot and back rubs from hell, you’ll eventually get the old heave-ho.

The banned steroid clostebol was found in Sinner’s system and that uncontestable fact is set to be the end of the matter for the Court of Arbitration for Sport. To quote Italian Captain Alberto Bertorelli from ’Allo ’Allo: “What a mistake-a to make-a!”

Sinner played Nicolas Jarry in his opening match on Monday.

The 198cm Chilean has never been a dope as a player, except the time he was suspended for 11 months for failing a doping test.

He serves like Joel Garner used to deliver a cricket ball, with steepling bounce and unnerving pace, but his returns of serve are ordinary and his rigid two-handed backhand has a fondness for climbing only halfway up the net. Sinner won 7-6 (7/2) 7-6 (7/5) 6-1.

Jarry played with a bee in his bonnet. He was banned in 2020 for testing positive to ligandrol and stanozolol.

“I would have loved to have the same support Jannik had when it happened to me,” he said.

“It affects me personally and I cannot escape that situation. I will never be the person I was before the suspension, in tennis and emotionally.”

Hence the reason for the Armanis under Sinner’s almond eyes. The emotional toll. It’s unavoidable. You cannot be 10 months into a doping case, with another three months to go, and a suspension probably inevitable, without sleepless nights.

He was unusually cranky at 3-3 in the opening set, quietly raging against the machine, complaining about the big-screen footage being a distraction then slapping a ball away in frustration – unusual for a player renowned for calmness and composure.

Sinner’s on-court interview was so predictably comfortable he might have penned the questions himself. He came across as a shy and likeable young bloke. An accidental villain.

Asked for advice to kids wanting to be world No.1, Sinner replied: “You have to enjoy the tough moments and the difficult moments. They will always come up. Just try to put a smile on your face, work hard, your family and your close people always come first. That’s my advice to you and I wish every kid good luck.

“I believe success should never change us as a person and how we are. I had an amazing last year and a lot of success but it never changed who I am.”

Jarry admitted he found the match a psychological battle because of Sinner’s perceived preferential treatment in still being allowed on tour.

“I’m very honest with you, I don’t know the details of his case,” Sinner said. “For me, it’s difficult to say whatever happened. What I can say on these kinds of things, we got treated in the same way. There’s the protocol. If the protocol has some issues or problem, then it’s not my fault, you know?”

He added: “Of course, I’m very sorry for the players who are passing these but I don’t know exactly the details about his case. I know only what happened to me.

“It’s basically still on, mine. I have to do some stuff. At the end of the day, I was always judged that I was innocent. The amount I had in my body was less than a billionth of a gram and it was contamination.

“I don’t know the exact details of what he had.”

Sinner had too much courtcraft and variation for Jarry, the ball on a string, letting Jarry go for broke, rope-a-dope-style, safe in the knowledge his foe was unlikely to keep it up.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport will be harder to beat in April. WADA is pushing for a suspension because regardless of Sinner’s explanation, he still tested positive. The problem with being an accidental villain is that you still get punished like a real villain.

Poland’s Iga Swiatek, the five-time major champion banned for one month last year after testing positive to trimetazidine, beat Czech Katerina Siniakova 6-3 6-4 on Margaret Court Arena. She received such a short suspension after successfully claiming the positive result came from the contamination of a regulated non-prescription medication for her jet lag and sleep issues.

“I think just accepting the fact that sometimes you’re not going to have control over some stuff in your life,” she said of the experience she called the worst of her life. “This situation can happen and then you have to deal with it. It’s a big lesson. It’s going to help me in other aspects in my life.”

Sinner was pensive when he walked on to Rod Laver Arena. Would he get a cruel reception? Would the masses boo and hiss after Nick Kyrgios’s relentless criticism? He noticeably relaxed when his welcome was warm.

“Yeah, I was curious to see how it was,” he said. “You never know what’s happening. I was happy about the crowd, it was a very nice crowd. There were some people supporting my opponent and some for me. It was a nice atmosphere. I was just looking forward to getting on the court because this is what I practise for. It’s nice to be back here … it’s a very special place for me … it’s a nice place to play some tennis … I’m trying to compete in the best possible way.

“So many things have happened on this court. Beautiful things.”