NEW YORK — Six months after Jannik Sinner failed two drug tests, and 2 1/2 weeks after he was exonerated because he said trace amounts of an anabolic steroid entered his system unintentionally via a massage, the No. 1-ranked man in tennis will play in the U.S. Open semifinals.
His doping case, which raised questions from some players about whether Sinner was treated differently than others on account of his standing in the sport, has loomed over his run to the final four at Flushing Meadows, where the 23-year-old Italian will face No. 25 Jack Draper of Britain on Friday. No. 12 Taylor Fritz plays No. 20 Frances Tiafoe in the other men's semifinal, the first in New York between two Americans in 19 years.
Asked how he's been able to stay focused on court with everything going on off it, Sinner said: ''Obviously in the beginning ... (it) was a tough situation. But day by day, it went better. So I'm happy about that. Let's see now, in the semis, what I can do.''
Sinner's doping exoneration
The International Tennis Integrity Agency said on Aug. 20 that it determined — and an independent tribunal agreed — that Sinner should not be suspended because he was not at fault for testing positive twice, eight days apart, in March for Clostebol. Sinner's defense? His fitness trainer, Umberto Ferrara, purchased an over-the-counter spray in Italy that contained that drug and gave it to Sinner's physiotherapist, Giacomo Naldi, to treat a cut on Naldi's finger. Naldi then gave Sinner a massage while not wearing gloves.
Sinner said on the eve of the U.S. Open that he had fired Ferrara and Naldi.
''Because of these mistakes, I'm not feeling that confident to continue with them,'' Sinner said. ''The only thing I just need right now (is) just some clean air. I was struggling a lot in the last months.''
The whole episode has been a big topic of conversation in tennis, naturally. Novak Djokovic said he gets other players' concerns about a possible ''lack of consistency'' in the process. Rafael Nadal said he doesn't believe Sinner meant to dope. Roger Federer, like Djokovic, said he understands why there were questions about a double-standard, and, like Nadal, said he doesn't think Sinner was trying to break the rules.
