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Several fans reacted to Jannik Sinner claiming that he "lost a little bit of smile" due to his ongoing doping saga. The Italian tested possible for the banned substance Clostebol, but the ITIA cleared him, citing that he bore "no fault or negligence". However, the World Anti Doping Agency appealed the decision.
Despite the circumstances related to his doping case, Jannik Sinner has produced some scintillating tennis. The top seed at the Shanghai Masters reached the final with wins over Taro Daniel, 31st seed Tomas Martin Etcheverry, 16th seed Ben Shelton, fifth seed Daniil Medvedev and 30th seed Tomas Machac.
Sinner then beat Novak Djokovic 7-6(4), 6-3 to win his fourth Masters 1000 title and level his head-to-head record with the Serb at 4-4.
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In his post-match press conference, Jannik Sinner spoke about how tough 2024 was for him, adding that he "lost a little bit of smile" due to his off-court issues.
"Well, I know this year has been very, very tough for me because of other circumstances, and, you know, at points I lost a little bit of smile because I had some issues off the court, and then they're still in my mind sometimes," Sinner said.
Fans reacted to the Italian claiming he lost his smile, with one claiming that the statement broke their heart.
"This part of the press conference broke my heart," the fan stated.
One fan said that Jannik Sinner didn't deserve to be in such a stressful situation.
"Poor Jannik, he doesn't deserve all this stress," the fan commented.
Another praised Jannik Sinner for his level of tennis despite his current circumstances.
"Imagine a world where he puts this all behind him and plays even more freely. Dude's doing SO well given the difficult circumstances and immense pressure he's been put under. Fingers crossed there's a solution soon and we see a happy Jannik back on tour - he's winning these tournaments without even playing his best and not being completely focused. This is so different to the end of last year but it's the same results - very impressive," the fan said.
Here are some more fan reactions to Jannik Sinner's comments:
"Waiting to see what will happen must be excruciating. I hope he can put this story behind him soon, he's a gentle soul who's trusted the wrong people," one fan commented.
"He was always stoic lol," one fan stated.
"I just hope that whatever decision he receives is fair. If, comparing to others in a similar position in the past, this turns out to be preferential treatment, then I hope they overturn the original decision and issue a proportionate ban. If it turns out to be a different case and in line with the rules, then I hope the original decision stands," another fan commented.
Jannik Sinner has produced a string of impressive performances amid his doping performances. They include his US Open triumph, beating Taylor Fritz in the final. He also reached the China Open final, losing a thrilling encounter 6-7(6), 6-4, 7-6(3) to Carlos Alcaraz.
Jannik Sinner: "It's never easy to play in these kind of circumstances"
Speaking further in his post-match press conference, Sinnner said that it wasn't easy to play under his present circumstances and that he was trying to enjoy in the best way possible.
"So, it's never easy to play in these kind of circumstances where I am in, but, you know, so I just tried to enjoy in the best possible way I can on the court. And, you know, obviously success is something great, and then it's nice to say thanks to all the people who are working with me daily, who knows me more than most likely all the other people," the Italian said.
The Shanghai Masters is Sinner's seventh title in the 2024 season. The Italian has won 65 of 71 matches this year, winning two Grand Slams, three Masters 1000 and three ATP 500 events.
The World No. 1 will have a substantial break before he resumes action at the Paris Masters. He won't defend his title at the Erste Bank Open in Vienna, which he won in 2023 after beating Daniil Medvedev in the final. The Italian is scheduled to make his fourth appearance at the Paris Masters, which is the only Masters 1000 event where he's yet to reach the quarter-final.
Sinner's best performance at the tournament came last year when he was seeded fourth. The 23-year-old reached the third round after a 6-7(6), 7-5, 6-1 win over Mackenzie McDonald. He then withdrew from the tournament due to fatigue before his Round of 16 match against Alex de Minaur.
