Rafael Nadal supported Jannik Sinner, stating that the top player in the world wasn’t suspended because he didn’t intend to use the prohibited substance.
Renowned Rafael Nadal backed world no. Jannik Sinner in his doping controversy. After Sinner tested positive twice in March for traces of an anabolic steroid, Nadal said he didn’t believe the Italian tennis sensation intended to use a prohibited substance and that he wasn’t given special treatment when he was cleared of doping.
“I hope he didn’t receive any punishment because it was made very evident by the judges that there was nothing to be punished in this case. The 22-time major champion Rafael Nadal said in an interview with “El Hormiguero” on Monday, “I don’t think the sentence has anything to do with him being No. 1 in the world.”
On August 20, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) declared that Jannik Sinner’s positive test result for a prohibited performance-enhancing drug was considered an accident that happened after receiving a massage from his physical therapist. As a result, Sinner was not suspended.
In response to a query concerning the New York incident prior to the US Open, Novak Djokovic said he understood why some players could believe there is a double standard in tennis, suggesting that the ITIA’s ruling may have caused some commotion among his colleagues.
Having skipped the US Open, Rafael Nadal stated he has no reason to question the ITIA’s ruling. “I think someone is acting in good faith. Knowing Sinner, I don’t think he was looking to use drugs. Ultimately, justice is justice, and I think that justice exists,” Nadal declared.”I believe in the bodies that have to make decisions and that they do it based on what they believe is right.”
Sinner, meanwhile, advanced to the second round of the US Open after defeating Tommy Paul, ranked fourteenth, 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/5), and 6-1 on Tuesday in the fourth round match. He will compete against Daniil Medvedev, the former World No. 1 from Russia, to advance to the semi-final. Nuno Borges of Portugal was defeated 6-0, 6-1, 6-3 by Medvedev, the 2021 champion and Djokovic’s runner-up from the previous year, to make it to the quarterfinals for the fifth time in six years.
Given that Novak Djokovic and Carloz Alcaraz have both been eliminated from the competition, the outcome of the Sinner vs. Medvedev quarterfinal could very well determine the US Open champion for this year.
