Paris Masters tournament director opens up on Jannik Sinner’s withdrawal
Jannik Sinner's ATP Finals spot in Turin could be in danger considering it starts virtually one week after the Paris Masters.
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Jannik Sinner (Image via CNN)
Paris Masters tournament director Cedric Pioline has discussed Jannik Sinner‘s potential preference for the Six Kings Slam in Saudi Arabia over the Masters 1000 tournament in Paris. On Tuesday, October 29, Sinner confirmed he would miss the final Masters 1000 event of the season due to illness.
The Paris Masters has often seen withdrawals from top players, mainly because it is scheduled just one week before the start of the Nitto ATP Finals. Pioline acknowledged that he cannot control every ATP player, as they are free to choose whichever tournament they wish to play.
It’s not up to me to judge: each player, including Jannik, organizes his season as he sees fit. We can even say that in general, Jannik is one of those who has a logical schedule, he doesn’t overload his calendar. So he was rather confident. As high-level athletes, they are fragile from an immune point of view at the end of the season, there are little things that hang around and that we can catch. Is it bad luck? Probably.
Cedric Pioline said in a press conference
Sinner’s viral infection is not new in the tennis world. He contracted a similar infection during Wimbledon, where he lost to Daniil Medvedev in the quarterfinals. Soon afterwards, he also missed the Paris Olympics.
If this viral infection lasts as long as the previous one, Sinner’s spot in the ATP World Tour Finals could be at risk. Novak Djokovic, another player currently qualified for the ATP Finals, may also miss the tournament in Turin.
Is Jannik Sinner’s Paris Masters withdrawal related to his doping case?
Jannik Sinner is once again facing a tough challenge with his ongoing doping case, which has now returned to haunt him. Recently, he withdrew from the Paris Masters due to a virus, but the physical and mental strain of this situation could be taking its toll as he aims to regain full strength for the ATP Finals next month.
In March, Sinner failed two drug tests after testing positive for an anabolic steroid. However, an independent tribunal cleared him of blame in August, concluding that the steroid entered his system through his physio. His physio had used a spray containing the banned substance to treat a cut on their finger. As a result, Sinner faced no punishment.
The case, though, is far from over. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has appealed this decision and is pushing for a potential two-year ban. The appeal was filed on Thursday and announced on Saturday, adding new pressure on Sinner. Now, as he deals with the virus and his Paris withdrawal, this unresolved issue looms over him once more.
Sinner recently gave an interview to Sky Italy before WADA’s appeal was made public. In it, he described the physical and emotional toll of his doping case, which had deeply affected him earlier in the year. His coach, Darren Cahill, also acknowledged how exhausting it was for Sinner to cope with the fear of a ban and being labeled unfairly.
With the ATP Finals approaching in Turin and the Davis Cup Finals in Malaga, Sinner faces the challenge of performing well under intense stress. The constant worry may be affecting his immune system, and he now must find the resilience to compete in front of his home fans, despite this difficult chapter continuing to unfold.
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Fahad Hamid
(628 Articles Published)