Alex De Minaur opens up on Jannik Sinner's doping controversy: "I’ve got a lot of respect for him and his team”

Alex de Minaur opens up after tough loss to Jannik Sinner, commenting on the doping case involving the No. 1 and admitting he ‘got his a** kicked’ by the Italian. In his ATP Finals debut, the two-time Grand Slam champion put on a dazzling performance to take the victory 6-3, 6-4 in just 85 minutes.

Despite his efforts, the Australian could do little against Sinner's impressive level of play. De Minaur expressed his respect for the World No. 1 after extending his losing streak against him to 0-8 in their head-to-head record.

De Minaur struggles against Sinner’s powerful game

The World No. 7 was also asked about Sinner’s controversial doping case. After testing positive twice in Indian Wells, Sinner was cleared of any fault due to accidental contamination, thus avoiding suspension—a decision that sparked debate among some on the Tour, including Nick Kyrgios and Denis Shapovalov.

Read also

ATP Finals: Relentless Jannik Sinner dominates Alex De Minaur in commanding opener

It was one of the season’s most controversial topics, and De Minaur shared his opinion during his post-match press conference in Turin: “I mean, honestly, I'm just a tennis player. I've got no bearing in making these types of decisions whatsoever. I'm sure everything will happen when it needs to happen,” he replied.

“As for Jannik, I can only speak on what I know of him as a person. Even though he's kicked my a** seven times now, he's a great guy,” the 25-year-old Australian added. “We’ve shared many moments on the court together. Him and his team, I’ve got a lot of respect for them.”

Read also

Tournament Centre ATP Finals 2024: Schedule, all results, Prize Money, Draw and TV Guide

“I’d say one thing that really stood out to me was his returning. I mean, he’s so long, and he covers the court so well that it’s very hard to get any easy returns off your first serve,” he concluded.

De Minaur now looks to his next Round Robin match against Daniil Medvedev, where he’ll need a win to stay in contention. Meanwhile, Sinner will face Taylor Fritz, hoping to secure an early spot in the semifinals.