The world No. 1 in men’s tennis, Jannik Sinner, prevailed in his match against American Mackenzie McDonald with a performance record of 2-6, 6-2, 6-1, 6-2, and advanced to the US Open second round.
Sinner’s victory in New York marked his first match since his doping case went public. The athlete has insisted that he hasn’t done anything illegal and escaped suspension despite testing positive twice for traces of a prohibited substance.
Now, he will play against Alex Michelsen, another American, in the second round.
Fans’ response after the doping announcement
Sinner told reporters after his match with McDonald that he was interested in knowing the reaction of the fans.
It has been disclosed that Sinner escaped suspension despite twice testing positive for the anabolic drug Clostebol.
Sinner’s first positive test result was for low quantities of Clostebol from a sample taken at Indian Wells. Eight days later, a second sample was taken, and this one also tested positive—albeit at lower levels. Sinner’s representation stated that the quantity was less than a billionth of a gram.
Sinner claimed that the positive tests were caused by accidental contamination of Clostebol as a result of receiving treatment from his physiotherapist. It was decided that he had “no fault or negligence.”
“The response from fans, I feel like it has been great.. Also throughout when the news came out, you know, in the practice sessions, there was a lot of support, which I’m very glad and happy about that,” he said.
Sinner added: “It is still a little bit, you know, not easy. … Obviously, I’m very happy to be here in the position where I am, and then trying just to go day by day, really.”
Sinner was questioned regarding the conversations he’s had with other players and the responses he’s received in the locker room. He said: “Yeah, there are some reactions… You know, I cannot really control what they think and what they talk. … I cannot control the players’ reaction, and if I have something to say to someone, I go there privately, because I’m this kind of person. But, look, overall, it has not been bad. So I’m happy about that.”
Source: CNN