&w=3840&q=100)
Jannik Sinner disappointed by silence of players he thought would back him: 'I don't want to name them'
Jannik Sinner has claimed that the players he expected would support him during the doping ban ignored him while others came forward to support him. read more
World number one men's tennis player Jannik Sinner, who will return from a three-month doping ban on Friday, has spoken about the lack of support from the tennis community during his tough time. Sinner served a three-month doping ban from February 2025 after an agreement with the World Anti-Doping Agency, where authorities accepted that the banned anabolic agent clostebol had entered his system via massages from his physiotherapist.
Sinner, who has won three Grand Slam titles so far, , with an aim to prepare for the French Open that starts on 25 May.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Sinner claims lack of support from players
Speaking at a press conference before the Italian Open, the 23-year-old revealed that the players he expected would stand by him did not send me messages after his ban, while 'surprising' messages came from players who he did not expect to contact him.
'Tennis is an individual sport, everyone has their own team. In Monte Carlo I met Draper and Sonego, we had a great time. At the beginning I had surprising messages from tennis players that I would not have expected to receive. And nothing from those who instead I expected to receive something," Sinner said. 'Names? I don't want to name them. Everything will be fine, it will pass slowly'.
Sinner also said that he entered the Rome tournament with low expectations.
'It's a very, very low expectation tournament in general for me, it's talking also results wise,' Sinner told reporters. 'What's missing is the complete feedback of where my level is. That's going to come then slowly with the time of playing, after the first round match I'm going to have a good picture of myself — where I am at.'
Sinner continues to hold the top ranking in men's tennis as Alexander Zverev suffered an early defeat in Monte-Carlo Masters.
The Italian also revealed that he didn't want to accept a three-month ban, but he had to pick the best from the 'very bad' options.
'For me personally good news that the Grand Slams were not included … This kind of agreement, I didn't want to do it in the beginning. It was not easy for me to accept it because I know what really happened, but sometimes we have to choose the best in a very bad moment,' Sinner said.
STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
'It's all over now, so I'm happy to play tennis again.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
21 minutes ago
- Time of India
French Open 2025: 361st ranked Lois Boisson shocks Jessica Pegula, Mirra Andreeva ousts Kasatkina
Lois Boisson celebrates the win over Jessica Pegula of the U.S. at the Roland-Garros stadium (Image via AP /Christophe Ena) The Times of India at Roland Garros : Lois Boisson, ranked 361 in the world, put wild into the wild card at the French Open , scripting a daring run into the quarterfinals. The 22-year-old was coming from so far behind she simply couldn't be spotted until she didn't just take the centre stage, she owned it. There were a couple of firsts for the French player in this edition of the championship, first time in a Grand Slam main draw, and also her first time on the majestic Court Philppe-Chatrier, where she was up against the World No.3 Jessica Pegula on Monday. All things considered, it was as good as it gets. That was the feeling. No one told Boisson or the French fans that. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! The stadium, only one-third full when the match started, filled to capacity in the decider. The fans lending the lone surviving French player in the singles draws a shoulder, cheering loudly and singing the national anthem. The audacious wildcard responded by reaching for the near impossible. She produced her best tennis to knock out the rock-solid American 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 in two-hours and 42-minutes to set up a quarterfinal meeting with the 18-year-old Mirra Andreeva on Wednesday. Boisson, from Dijon, a principal wine-making area, had a stellar season last year. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Villas For Sale in Dubai Might Surprise You Dubai villas | search ads Get Deals Undo She lifted her maiden WTA 125 title on clay at Saint Malo and climbed to No.152 in the rankings by early May. She caught the attention of the establishment and was given a wildcard in last year's Roland Garros. Unfortunately for Boisson, less than two weeks before the start of the clay court major, she suffered a left knee injury. She was forced to undergo surgery which put her out of the sport for nine months. IPL 2025 Final, RCB vs Punjab Kings: The wait will finally end in Ahmedabad The 22-year-old, who started playing tennis on clay at the age of eight, wasn't a standout junior, but the red dirt is where she feels at home. 'I played a lot on clay,' she said. 'The more you play, the more you adapt to the surface. After all, I have a game style that fits the surface very well. When the clay season starts, I feel my best and happiest.' Boisson's forehand is heavy, built for the surface she hopes to reign on, it spun viciously through the light afternoon air, finding the lines. She had 18 winners on that flank in the match, running around her backhand and opening up the court, mixing it up with slices and taking the ball away from the American's comfort zone. The home player broke on her second opportunity in the ninth game of the second set, and then backed it up by serving out the set at love. The 22-year-old struck decisively in the decider, converting on her fourth chance for a 5-4 lead before warding off four breakpoints and serving out the match. 'In the third set Chatrier was full, it was incredible. Roland Garros is a dream and it's a goal, so being in quarters is a step ahead. '
NDTV
24 minutes ago
- NDTV
Jannik Sinner Crushes Andrey Rublev To Reach Roland Garros Last Eight
Jannik Sinner fired a warning sign to his French Open title rivals as he romped to a comprehensive victory over Andrey Rublev in the French Open last 16 on Monday. Russian 17th seed Rublev appeared to pose a tricky test on paper for Sinner, but the world number one instead cantered to a 6-1, 6-3, 6-4 win in the night session on Court Philippe Chatrier. The Italian, who returned from a three-month doping ban in May in Rome, will next face unseeded Kazakh Alexander Bublik in the quarter-finals. (Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Alexander Bublik still entertains, now with grit
Mumbai: Alexander Bublik sank to the floor like he had never done before. When he rose, his face was covered in the Parisian clay, but he couldn't care less. The smile refused to leave his face. The man who claimed he never took his sport very seriously, Bublik shed a few tears on Court Suzanne Lenglen. For the first time in his career, the 27-year-old had made it to the quarter-final of a Grand Slam. The Kazakh player soaked in the standing ovation from the crowd that witnessed him beat world No.5 Jack Draper 5-7, 6-3, 6-2, 6-4 in their fourth round match at the French Open on Monday. But then he refused to get emotional on court. 'I'm standing here like I won the thing. I can't cry here, come on,' he said in the post-match interview on court. 'I still have a match to go, I'm a professional tennis player, I've got to get ready.' On any other day, him choosing to leave court to prepare for the next match would have seemed like a regular quip from one of the sport's most entertaining characters. But now there is a seriousness in his words, even if it was delivered with a smile. A match with Bublik means an exhibition of explosive strokes with a heavy mix of trickery - often needless. He will play tweeners, throw in underarm serves, go for 200+ kph second serves, use the handle of his racquet for easy volleys. The man who recently joked around by asking an umpire if he remembered when 'tennis was easy' makes an increasingly gruelling sport look effortless. With talent in abundance, Bublik never chased after bigger titles. But a string of losses gave him a jolt like he had never faced before - once ranked as high as 17 in the world, Bublik dropped out of the top 50. That prompted a mental shift. For a player of his calibre, he had reached the fourth round of a major only once, at Wimbledon in 2023. He had reached the third round of the US Open once, in 2019, but never made it that far at the French and Australian Opens. This time in Roland Garros though, he is on a mission. 'I was on a losing streak and I (didn't have any other) option but to take it a bit seriously,' Bublik said in a press conference after he won the third round in Paris last week. 'I went to a lower tournament, I played a few Challengers. I had no time to joke around there, I went there to win. I have to take matches more seriously, and I did. 'I can't see myself out of the top 100 and not be able to play the tournaments I like to play. I still have the courage to play tennis and it was just a shift in mentality.' One could only wonder what it would have been like had the shift come earlier. But even though it has, he still knows how to put on a show. Against a big-hitter like Draper, Bublik played his usual enthralling game. But with the added element of grit. He was ready to dig it out on the big points. And it wasn't the first time he had done it this tournament. Now ranked 62 in the world, Bublik was down two sets against ninth seed Alex de Minaur of Australia. But he refused to go away, pulling off a miraculous five-set win. A motto that is famously displayed on Court Philippe Chatrier reads: 'Victory belongs to the most tenacious.' In all likeliness Bublik could play in that stadium in his quarter-final. He is expected to bring his usual flamboyant approach to court. This time, armed with the stubbornness to dig out a win.
