Jannik Sinner opens up about handling pressure amid doping appeal: "The success will never change me as a person"

Sunday, 13 October 2024 at 21:00

Jannik Sinner responded to how he handles the pressure off the court amidst the appeal process for his positive doping test in March. At the start of the Asian Swing, WADA announced they would appeal the world No. 1’s doping case, seeking a suspension of up to two years.

The Italian hasn’t had it easy in recent weeks, but the off-court pressure hasn’t affected his on-court performance. At the China Open, Sinner reached the final but lost to his rival Carlos Alcaraz in a third-set tie-break. This week, he defeated Novak Djokovic in the final to claim his 7th title of the season.

“You know, people think that by winning or having success you don’t have any problems, but it’s not true, because I’m in a situation where obviously it’s not comfortable. I wish I wasn’t in this position off the court, and I could play more freely and enjoy it a little bit more,” Sinner said after his Shanghai title win.

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“But you have to accept it. I feel strong when I go on the court, trying not to think about it, and staying focused on everything I do. I give 100% in every match or practice, and when I wake up, I try to be focused on every single thing I do,” he added.

“Of course, I have moments where I think about it, which is uncomfortable and not the best part. You take success in a different way, and I’ve learned that success will never change me as a person or a player. I could go far in the next tournament or lose in the first round, but it won’t change me as a person.”

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“I’m very grateful to the people around me. They know me very well and understand who I can trust, and that’s the most important thing for me. Whatever I achieve on the court is just an extra, it’s what I work for.”

The world No. 1 will now take a few weeks off to prepare for the Paris Masters, the last Masters 1000 of the year, which will also be Sinner’s final tournament before competing at the ATP Finals in Turin.

Jannik Sinner

@janniksin

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Forza!! Shanghai you have been amazing 🇨🇳 Thank you to all of my team, both here and home. Let’s keep working! 👊🏼🦊

12:33 PM · Oct 13, 2024

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Cristhián AvilaTennis Journalist

Cristhián Ávila is a tennis journalist based in Santiago, Chile, and has been part of the TennisUpToDate team since early 2023. He covers the ATP and WTA Tours as well as all four Grand Slams, producing breaking news, match reports, analysis, and regular liveblogs from major tournaments.

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