"I think people will understand": Jannik Sinner's coach confident of Italian tennis star's legacy in sport despite doping scandal

Italian tennis star Jannik Sinner’s coach, Darren Cahill, is optimistic that the recent doping scandal will not affect the reigning world number one’s legacy in the sport in the long run. The 23-year-old is already regarded as one of the best players currently playing in men’s tennis in the singles category, along with Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz and Serbia’s Novak Djokovic.

Sinner has been in the news recently for all the wrong reasons. He narrowly managed to escape the ban after testing positive for a banned substance in two doping tests. In a detailed statement, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) announced that the one-time Grand Slam winner has been cleared of any charges as his response has been accepted.

Sinner’s coach, Cahill, was recently quoted in a report by Tennis 365, in which he highlighted how difficult the recent months have been for the world number one. He also highlighted how the San Candido-born star has dealt with the issue and expressed optimism that the controversy will not affect his legacy in the long run.

“We’ve been living with this for the last few months, which has been challenging and difficult, certainly for Jannik,” he said. “He’s been the one who’s suffered through this the most and he’s the one who’s had to go out there and play tennis and tennis tournaments. So it’s been really, really difficult for him, and I take my hat off to him that he’s been able to post some of the results he has. I think over time this won’t affect his legacy in the game I think people will understand it when you read through the entire statement and what he went through and how they determined him to have no fault or no negligence.”

Sinner’s most recent appearance was in the Cincinnati Open, where he lifted the title after beating America’s Frances Tiafoe in straight sets with a score of 7-6, 6-2.