Not more than five days after taking the crown at the Cincinnati Open, Jannik Sinner found himself embroiled in a doping scandal and subsequently parted ways with his trainer and physiotherapist.
The timing couldn’t have been worse for the 2024 Australian Open champion, as the U.S. Open began Monday with Sinner among the favorites. Given his dominant performance at Cincinnati earlier this month, he likely would’ve been the favorite. Now, instead of riding the momentum into the final major of the year, he’ll have to play with a scandal in the back of his mind and new coaches by his side.
But Sinner, now 23, should be old enough to deal with being the center of attention on his own.
Throughout his six years on the ATP tour, he’s never been a player known to rely heavily on his coach’s box for encouragement or tactical advice. He plays with a certain stoicism. Sinner’s only moment of celebration in the Cincinnati semifinal against Alexander Zverev was right after match point, when he let out all the emotions pent up from the three-hour, eight-minute battle. The match proved that even with a hip injury—seemingly more serious than initially evaluated—Sinner can and will fight to the very end.
The similarities between the two are there; hitting winners out of nowhere, having the stamina to play for hours upon hours and surviving rallies that seem to go on forever. Sinner’s energy and playstyle aren’t vastly different from that of fellow youngster Carlos Alcaraz, but unlike his Spanish competitor, Sinner doesn’t show much emotion. Sinner, though, appears to borrow one characteristic in particular from 24-time Grand Slam winner Novak Djokovic: nobody knows what’s going on inside his head.
Djokovic is the type of player that seems invincible on an emotional level. There may be the occasional argument against the umpire or dispute with a line judge, but whether he’s winning or losing, Djokovic almost never gives his opponent the mental edge. Sinner is developing into a player with the same sort of positive arrogance, which he’ll need more than ever in Flushing Meadow.
The doping scandal itself, however, shows how important it is for athletes to be able to handle themselves while in the public eye.
The media surrounds much of their coverage on the most famous athletes because they’re who fans want to see the most. It makes sense from a viewership perspective, but for athletes who haven’t handled that type of attention before, it can be overwhelming and devastating for their careers if they don’t learn how to manage it.
Sinner’s fellow Italian and track superstar Marcell Jacobs is a prominent example of this from the last four years. At the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Jacobs shocked the field when he took gold in the men’s 100-meter final. As a result, he became a sensation, gaining access to red carpets and featuring in sports documentaries. There’s nothing inherently wrong with that type of fame and luxury, and Jacobs earned it the hard way.
Since then, however, he hasn’t been the same. The more he has opened up his life to the world, the less success he’s had, and the reigning gold medalist failed to reach the podium this summer in Paris. The 29-year-old has perhaps aged out of peak performance, but there’s no arguing that the media attention had something to do with the decline in performance.
In America, numerous athletes have gone down a similar path. Johnny “Football” Manziel was going to become the face of the NFL, but external influences and his inability to focus on developing his game got the better of him. Though the reasons behind these athletes’ declines differ, the pressure of being a big name in sports can weigh heavily on an athlete.
For Sinner, the popularity won’t be too much for him to handle anytime soon, but instances like the one last week can’t happen too often if he wants to keep a level head. Any unnecessary attention from the media is the last thing he needs when he’s still at a developing point in his career. If Sinner wants to be amongst the greats, his focus needs to rest solely on his game.
2024 is just the beginning for him, and with the way he’s matured over the last few years, fans shouldn’t have to worry about Sinner disappearing anytime soon.