Former player thinks Jannik Sinner’s doping scandal may tarnish his ‘legacy’
Former player Conor Niland believes some people in the future may not believe in Jannik Sinner's innocence in the doping scandal.
Follow Us
Jannik Sinner (via X)
Although Jannik Sinner will end this season as the most successful player in terms of trophies collected, the doping scandal has stopped him from enjoying his achievements to the fullest. Former player Conor Niland is convinced that Sinner is innocent but thinks the doping saga would probably affect his legacy.
Niland, who made it to the first round at Wimbledon and the US Open in 2011 and retired in 2012, watched the clip of Sinner receiving the year-end No. 1 trophy and how it made his family emotional. Sinner’s mother wiped away tears while watching her son lift the award. Niland believes Sinner’s doping scandal hurt his parents a lot and wondered if ‘there’s a lot going on in the background.’
Sinner’s story, for people who don’t follow tennis and don’t know the full story, is something people will latch on to. So we need to get this sorted and cleared both for Sinner and for tennis in general. It will be interesting to see if it stays with him or if this is something he can move on to. Anyone caught up in something like this could see their legacy affected.
Conor Niland said (via Tennis365)
Sinner tested positive for a banned anabolic steroid in March and reports of it were released in August. The International Tennis Integrity Agency’s (ITIA) verdict came out in favor of the Italian as they believed his explanation.
The banned substance entered his body accidentally through his then-physio. Sinner avoided a ban and this led to an uproar in the tennis community. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) stepped in and appealed before the Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS), demanding a ban on the 23-year-old. CAS has yet to give its verdict.
Conor Niland suggests changes to rules after Jannik Sinner’s doping saga
During the tests, a tiny amount of clostebol was found in Jannik Sinner‘s body, which suggested that the player did not intentionally contaminate himself. Conor Niland has suggested a change in the rules so that if the same thing happens in the future, players don’t have to deal with a lot of controversy.
If it’s less than a billionth of a gram, for me that’s nothing. It gets to the point where you could be walking down the street and someone brushes off you and you could be contaminated.
Conor Niland said (via Tennis365)
Sinner is in Turin now for the ATP Finals and is so far unbeaten in the event. He kicked off his campaign with a straight-set win over Alex de Minaur before breezing past Taylor Fritz. He next faces Daniil Medvedev in his final group stage match, scheduled on November 15.
Stay Updated!
Gouri Das
(4904 Articles Published)