{"id":72283,"date":"2024-08-24T19:11:08","date_gmt":"2024-08-24T23:11:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/?p=72283"},"modified":"2024-08-24T19:11:08","modified_gmt":"2024-08-24T23:11:08","slug":"can-sinner-block-outside-noise-and-win-us-open","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/tennis\/2024\/08\/24\/can-sinner-block-outside-noise-and-win-us-open\/","title":{"rendered":"Can Jannik Sinner Block the Outside Noise and Win US Open?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Jannik Sinner won his fifth title of the year in Cincinnati against Frances Tiafoe. He was solid in the final and hit some great forehands. Miami was the event where he played his best tennis, but the win in Cincinnati could arguably be more special. He wasn\u2019t playing his best tennis and yet found a way to win the title, showcasing that a champion can win even when they\u2019re not at their best. His mental game should receive a huge boost because of this title.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sinner is now guaranteed to overcome Daniil Medvedev’s 16 weeks as world No.1. He now leads close to 2000 points in the ATP rankings over Novak Djokovic and exactly 2000 points over Carlos Alcaraz and is the favourite to end the year as world No.1. It would be a fitting end to his breakout season at the top. Following his victory in Cincinnati on Monday, the Italian would have been a top favourite to win the US Open. Only his hip issues would have made people and himself doubt his chances, but things have changed since Tuesday.<\/p>\n

The Doping Allegations<\/h2>\n

Jannik Sinner has been cleared of wrongdoing after twice testing positive for a banned substance in March this year. The Italian tested positive for low levels of a metabolite of clostebol – a steroid that can be used to build muscle mass and expedite recovery – during Indian Wells. A further sample taken eight days later also tested positive for low levels of the same metabolite. A provisional suspension was automatically applied, but as Sinner challenged it successfully, he could keep playing.<\/span><\/p>\n

The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) carried out an investigation that found Sinner was inadvertently contaminated by the substance by his physiotherapist. The physiotherapist had been applying an over-the-counter spray available in Italy to a cut on his hand. He had then carried out treatments on Sinner, resulting in accidental contamination. The ITIA accepted the explanation and that the violation was not intentional. Sinner was cleared of fault or negligence by an independent tribunal last week. He will, however, lose the ranking points from Indian Wells, where he was beaten in the semifinals by eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz.<\/span><\/p>\n

The ITIA described the levels found in Sinner’s sample as “low.” His lawyers said they amounted to “less than a billionth of a gram.” A statement from his lawyers said Sinner’s fitness trainer had “purchased a product, easily available over the counter in any Italian pharmacy, which he gave to Sinner’s physiotherapist to care for a cut on the physiotherapist’s finger.”<\/span><\/p>\n

The physiotherapist applied the spray between 5-13 March, with Indian Wells taking place from 6-17 March. <\/span>During that time, the physio provided daily massages and sports therapy to Sinner, resulting in “unknowing transdermal contamination.” <\/span>“The physiotherapist treated Sinner without gloves and coupled with various skin lesions on Sinner\u2019s body caused the inadvertent contamination,” the lawyer’s statement read.<\/span><\/p>\n

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