Casper Ruud says he initially understood why some of the criticism was coming Jannik Sinner’s way but then analyzed the case more deeply and realized that the world No. 1 made a valid explanation and that he had a strong defense.
When it was announced that the Italian failed two doping tests in March but didn’t face any ban, the tennis world was left shocked. In their statement, the ITIA revealed that the 23-year-old tested positive for a prohibited steroid twice but that it came while his physiotherapist was applying an over-the-counter spray to treat a cut.
In the announcement, it was also said that Sinner’s team was able to quickly determine how a banned substance entered his body and prove that it wasn’t intentional or knowingly but just happened that the product they used was contaminated. And as a result, the new two-time Grand Slam champion was allowed to continue playing while the investigation was ongoing – and after it concluded – it was determined that he “bore no fault or negligence” for what happened and therefore avoided ban.
However, to no one’s surprise, not everyone was happy with the handling of the case, especially with the part where the world No. 1 avoided provisional suspension during the investigation.
When asked about it at the US Open, coach Darren Cahill suggested that it wasn’t true that there were double standards involved but that Sinner just had the resources to hire a strong legal team and do everything possible to prove that he was innocent.
But still, it didn’t too much to convince Nick Kyrgios or some critics that the 23-year-old was innocent as some still feel that the current world No. 1 should be suspended.
Ruud’s view on the Sinner doping drama
“I noticed at the start, before I got into the case and the sequence of events, that I also thought there were a few owls in the bog. He is number one in the world, there had to be discrimination. But then I familiarized myself with the case and the rules,” Ruud told TV2.no.
“If you have read the documents and understand the process in this type of case, then you understand that there is no discrimination here. What Jannik has done well, to defend himself, is that he managed to find an explanation within 15 days after testing positive. He understood quite quickly where it came from, continues the Norwegian tennis hope.
“There are not many athletes who manage to come up with an explanation within 15 days, but Jannik has managed it. It speaks in his favor that he quickly found out where the substance came from and that he has a reasonable explanation.”
After Sinner won the Cincinnati Masters and the news dropped, he decided to split with physio Giacomo Naldi. When asked about it at Flushing Meadows, the 23-year-old explained that the trust was broken between them.
“Now, because of these mistakes, I’m not feeling that confident to continue with them. The only thing I just need right now, just some clean air. You know, I was struggling a lot in the last months. Now I was waiting for the result, and now I just need some clean air,” he said.
Ruud on Sinner winning the US Open
Before the start of the final Grand Slam of the year, the question was how the top-seeded Italian would look and what would be a reaction if he won the tournament. And it happened after he dropped a total of two sets during two weeks in New York.
“He must obviously have played very well. Sinner has been good all year, by far the best, so it is deserved that he is number one,” Ruud said.
Following his US Open win, the Italian tennis star was asked how he felt about this triumph considering the circumstances and the fact that some thought he had no business being allowed to compete at Flushing Meadows.
“I don’t know. You have to ask all the other players. This, I don’t know. Well, that what I can say is that the general reaction of the players was quite positive, even when things came out. Then there have been, of course, some different voices, but this is in everything. This is not only in tennis. This is in other sports and different jobs also,” Sinner explained.
“I mean, you can’t really do anything about that. That’s why you have, as I said before, the people close to you, these are the people who knows what was going on and what I and my team went through because it was not only me; it was the whole situation. And, yeah, that’s it. I just can talk from my side and from my team’s perspective, and we are all very proud of this achievement.”