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The Hindu
2 hours ago
- Sport
- The Hindu
Rising like a phoenix
In September 2022, on a glitzy, starry night in New York, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz met in a high-stakes quarterfinal at the U.S. Open. Though still in his teens, Alcaraz was the more pedigreed, having built up to that stage by winning the Miami Masters and Madrid Masters. In fact, in the Spanish capital, he had beaten Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic back-to-back, a statement performance. Sinner, on the other hand, was ranked outside the top-10 and had lost all five of his combined matches against Nadal and Djokovic until then. Over five pulsating sets at Flushing Meadows, Alcaraz beat Sinner, with the tie finishing at 2.50 a.m. local time. The Spaniard, after having edged the five-hour, 15-minute fixture, went all the way to bag his maiden Slam and become the youngest men's World No. 1. At 19, he was also the first teenager to secure a Major since Nadal at the 2005 French Open. As fans and commentators were busy heralding of the changing of the guard from the Big Three of Roger Federer, Nadal and Djokovic to the younger lot, and appeared eager to anoint Alcaraz as the new tennis king, lost in the din was the fact that Sinner, in that contest, had a match-point in the fourth set and was up a break up in the fifth. The Italian may not have gone on to win but he had shown enough to be considered a near-equal. Almost three years since that titanic tussle, Sinner followed through on the promise by beating Alcaraz in four sets last Sunday for his maiden Wimbledon title. Coming as it did after the heartbreak in the Roland-Garros final a month earlier, where Sinner lost despite having not one but three championship points against Alcaraz, it was the ideal balm for his hurting soul. The accomplishment also snapped a run of five straight reverses against his 22-year-old generational rival. Editorial | Courting grass: On Wimbledon 2025 'It was important for many, many reasons,' Darren Cahill, Sinner's coach, said after the triumph. 'Carlos had the wood over him for the last five matches. They have played amazing matches, and Jannik had chances in maybe four of the five, but hasn't been able to get the victory. 'So it was important not just because it was a Grand Slam final, not just because it was Wimbledon, and not just because Carlos had won the last five matches against him. He knew the importance of closing this one out when he had the opportunities,' the Aussie added. Three-month pause Turning the tide in their 13-match rivalry aside, Sinner's success over Alcaraz also comes at an important time in his career. Though the 23-year-old has inarguably been the world's best player since he won the first of his four Majors at the 2024 Australian Open, the suspension he served earlier this year for having traces of banned anabolic steroid clostebol in his system has threatened to take the sheen off every achievement of his. In mid-February, Sinner paused for three months after entering into a case-resolution agreement with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) for two positive tests in March 2024. Though he was cleared of intentional doping, many players, past and present, thought he had gotten away lightly and that the whole saga reeked of favouritism. But such was his resilience, that through all this, Sinner conjured one of the best 18-month periods in tennis history. Starting January 2024, he has a stupendous 99-9 win-loss record, has won 10 Tour-level titles, defended the Davis Cup and has been the undisputed World No. 1 for 58 straight weeks from June 10, 2024. He is now the holder of three of the four Slams and has reached the summit clash at each of the past four Majors. That he remained the world's best-ranked player through his ban showed the incredibly high levels he had elevated his tennis to. His ATP points tally right now is 12,030, nearly double that of third-ranked Alexander Zverev (6,310). '(It's been) very emotional, even if I don't cry,' Sinner said after Wimbledon when asked to sum up the last few months. 'It feels emotional because only me and the people who are close to me know exactly what we have been through on and off the court. It has been everything except easy. 'We've tried to push (through) every practice session, even (when) I was struggling at times mentally. Maybe (I struggled) even more in practice sessions because I feel like when I play the match, I can switch off and just play. I believe that this helped me a lot,' the two-time Australian Open champion added. The victory at the All England Club is also an important marker in Sinner's growth as an all-round player. He is undoubtedly the best on synthetic surfaces, having won 13 of 20 hard-court events he has entered (including two Davis Cups) since the 2023 Toronto Masters, and finished a worthy finalist in two others. But his development this season, first on clay and then on grass, threatens the territorial supremacy of Alcaraz, a two-time winner of both the French Open and Wimbledon. It is not that Sinner earlier had negative returns on the sport's two natural surfaces. He even beat Alcaraz at Wimbledon 2022 in their second-ever career meeting. But proving one's worth on the grandest of stages counts for more. 'My favourite surface is hard court, but in my mind I also know that I can play well on other surfaces,' Sinner said. 'I knew that I could potentially play well here (at Wimbledon) because of my groundstrokes. They're quite flat, and the ball goes through. 'Clay is different because I felt like the physical shape was not there. But this year, it was great. I played five-and-a-half hours against Carlos (in Paris). It was super physical and different, but a good move forward.' In a sense, Sinner finds himself in a similar position to Nadal years ago when the latter's style was seen through the lens of Federer's ethereal shot-making and thus judged a tad harshly. Precise strokes Sinner's razor-sharp focus, methodical approach and precise strokes do not please the crowd the way Alcaraz's flair, invention and free-spiritedness do. Sinner plays with controlled aggression and emotions rarely overflow. For Alcaraz, the court is like a playhouse and he feeds off the audience's energy. Where Sinner can be clinical, Alcaraz teases and toys before shutting the door. But after the Italian's trophy-winning fortnight in southwest London — where he also ousted the legendary Djokovic, among the greatest returners the sport has seen, for a fifth consecutive time — the gap in perception is bound to shrink. 'The rivalry, I think, is amazing already,' said Cahill. 'And I think it can get better with both these players pushing each other. Jannik watches more Carlos matches than he does (of) anybody else. 'He's fascinated with the improvements that are coming in his (Alcaraz) game, and he's pushing us as coaches to make sure that he's improving as a tennis player as well. So the rivalry is real. It's there. And hopefully it's going to be there and real for the next 10 or 12 years.'
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Sport
- Indian Express
Marathon record holder provisionally suspended for Hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ)
World marathon record holder Ruth Chepng'etich was provisionally suspended from competing after detection of a banned substance in a drugs test. Hydro-chloro-thia-zide (HCTZ) – chemical formula C7H8ClN3O4S2 – also known as water pill, is a diuretic and used clinically to treat fluid retention and hypertension. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) categorizes the substance as s5 for diuretics and masking agents, which is prohibited at all times. Chepng'etich had smashed the women's marathon world record in 2024 at Chicago, becoming the first woman to go under 2:10 hours. But the Kenyan athlete failed a drug test she completed earlier this year. An investigation had been ongoing and the Athletics Integrity Unit now enforced the suspension. Hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) was detected in a urine sample collected from the Kenyan athlete on March 14, 2025. Chepng'etich's Chicago Marathon was completed in 2:09.56. The 30-year-old was informed of the test result in April. Head of the AIU, Brett Clothier said: 'When there is a positive test for diuretics and masking agents, a provisional suspension is not mandatory under the World Anti-Doping Code. Chepng'etich was not provisionally suspended by the AIU at the time of notification, however, on 19 April, she opted for a voluntary provisional suspension while the AIU's investigation was ongoing.' 'In the intervening months, the AIU continued its investigation and today issued a Notice of Charge and imposed its own provisional suspension.' The Kenyan can seek recourse asking her case to be heard before a disciplinary tribunal. Winner of the world marathon title in Doha in 2019, beating Bahrain's Rose Chelimo and Namibia's Helalia Johannes, Chepng'etich had won the Chicago Marathon in 2021 and 2022. Marathon running has been hit with a spate of high-profile doping cases in recent years, particularly from Kenya which is world renowned for its middle and long-distance runners. In April 2023, Athletics Kenya said its government pledged $5 million per year for five years to fight doping in athletics. – With Reuters inputs
Mint
2 days ago
- Sport
- Mint
Who is Ruth Chepngetich? Marathon world record holder suspended by Athletics Integrity Unit for doping
Ruth Chepngetich, the women's marathon world record holder, sent shockwaves across the athletics world on Thursday (July 17) when shewas provisionally banned by the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU). The reason behind her suspension was testing positive for a banned substance. This development has sparked debate about her remarkable career and the integrity of elite marathon running. Ruth Chepngetich, a 30-year-old Kenyan runner, is one of the most celebrated long-distance athletes of her generation. In October 2024, she shattered the women's marathon world record at the Chicago Marathon, finishing in 2 hours, 9 minutes, and 56 seconds, nearly two minutes faster than the previous record set by Ethiopia's Tigst Assefa. This marked her third Chicago Marathon victory, leaving her mark as a dominant force. Chepngetich also won gold at the 2019 World Championships in Qatar, overcoming midnight heat to emerge victorious. Her achievements have made her a national hero in Kenya, a country renowned for its distance-running prowess, making her doping case all the more shocking. The doping substance detected in Chepngetich's March 14, 2025, sample was Hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ), a diuretic used medically to treat fluid retention and hypertension. According to the AIU, the sample showed an HCTZ concentration of 3,800 ng/mL, far exceeding the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) 20 ng/mL reporting threshold. HCTZ is prohibited in sports because it can act as a masking agent, increasing urine output to potentially dilute other banned substances, making them harder to detect. While not performance-enhancing, its presence raises concerns about possible attempts to conceal other doping violations, prompting scrutiny of Ruth Chepngetich's recent performances. Ruth Chepngetich was notified of the positive test on April 3 and voluntarily accepted a provisional suspension on April 19, halting her competitive activities. 'Chepngetich was not provisionally suspended by the AIU at the time of notification; however, on 19 April, she opted for a voluntary provisional suspension while the AIU's investigation was ongoing,' said AIU head Brett Clothier. On July 17, the AIU issued a formal Notice of Charge and imposed its own suspension. However, Ruth Chepngetich has the right to appeal and present her case before a Disciplinary Tribunal, which will determine her penalty, potentially a two-year ban.
NBC Sports
2 days ago
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Ruth Chepngetich, marathon world record holder, provisionally suspended after positive test
Ruth Chepngetich, the women's marathon world record holder, has been provisionally suspended after testing positive for a banned diuretic five months after becoming the first woman to run a marathon in under 2 hours, 10 minutes. Chepngetich tested positive for Hydrochlorothiazide (HCTZ) from a March 14 sample, according to the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), which handles doping cases in international track and field. Last Oct. 13, Chepngetich won the Chicago Marathon in 2:09:56, taking 1 minutes, 57 seconds off the world record. The results of Chepngetich's March 14 drug test were reported to the AIU on April 3. Then on April 16, the AIU notified and interviewed Chepngetich, who complied with an investigation. 'When there is a positive test for diuretics and masking agents, a provisional suspension is not mandatory under the World Anti-Doping Code,' AIU head Brett Clothier said in a press release. 'Chepngetich was not provisionally suspended by the AIU at the time of notification, however, on 19 April, she opted for a voluntary provisional suspension while the AIU's investigation was ongoing. 'In the intervening months, the AIU continued its investigation and today issued a notice of charge and imposed its own provisional suspension.' Chepngetich has not commented publicly on the case. She has the right to take it to a disciplinary tribunal, which could determine if she receives the standard suspension of up to two years, if any ban at all. According to the AIU, the diuretic HCTZ is used clinically to treat fluid retention and hypertension. It is banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency for international sport without an accepted therapeutic use exemption. Diuretics can be abused to mask the presence in urine of other banned substances.
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First Post
5 days ago
- Sport
- First Post
'Last four or five months were very stressful': Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek address drug bans at Wimbledon Champions Dinner
Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek clinched their respective maiden Wimbledon titles this past weekend. The win turns out to be even more special for both as they faced drug bans recently. read more Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek made history at the weekend by claiming their maiden Wimbledon championship respectively. After living their glory day at the iconic Centre Court, the champions attended the customary Wimbledon Champions Dinner that took place following the culmination of the tournament. Following the event, Sinner addressed the sensitive subject of their respective drug bans and revealed they even chatted after the concerned topic. Also Read | Nadal sends message of support to Anisimova after crushing Wimbledon final defeat: 'Be proud' STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Jannik Sinner on the drug bans he and Iga Swiatek faced Sinner was handed a three-month ban in February following two positive doping tests after reaching an agreement with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Swiatek, on the other hand, accepted a one-month suspension in November last year after testing positive for a banned substance. After serving the respective bans, the two have made a blistering return to the court, amplifying a statement of dominance with Wimbledon victory. Sinner lifted the Wimbledon trophy by overcoming familiar foe Carlos Alcaraz in the final. The Italian dethroned the two-time Wimbledon champion by winning the match in four sets (4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4). Meanwhile, Swiatek vanquished Amanda Anisimova 6-0, 6-0 in the Women's final. Sinner spoke to BBC Sport to discuss his Wimbledon triumph on Monday. And reflecting on his chat with Swiatek, he explained: 'Well, me and Iga, we actually talked yesterday about this and we've been celebrating, in a way, even more because it was a very difficult time for her and also for me. 'And only me and my team and the people who are close to me know exactly how it went. 'There are always going to be some people who believe in you and who [do] not, but this is in everything. 'So yeah, in a way it's very special, because it was very, very stressful, the time on the last four or five months.'
