Roger Federer’s former coach applauds Jannik Sinner’s mentality after doping controversy – ‘He will feel lighter’
Jannik Sinner will be feeling “much better mentally” now that he has been cleared of any wrongdoing following his failed drug tests with Roger Federer’s former coach Ivan Ljubicic saying the whole saga proves “how strong he is mentally”.
The world No 1 tested positive for the banned steroid clostebol during two separate tests at the Indian Wells Open in March, but he was allowed to continue playing after he successfully lodged appeals.
Nearly five months after the initial results, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) announced that Sinner bore “no fault or negligence” as the “substance had entered their system as a result of contamination from a support team member, who had been applying an over-the-counter spray (available in Italy) containing clostebol to their own skin to treat a small wound”.
The announcement caused a storm in the tennis world as many believe Sinner received preferential treatment as other players have been banned in the past until they could prove their innocence.
Despite the sword hanging over his head the past few months, the 23-year-old has performed exceptionally well as he won the Miami Open in March, became world No 1 for the first time in June and more recently won the Cincinnati Open.
Former world No 3 Ljubicic, who coached Federer from 2015 until his retirement in 2022, discussed Sinner’s mentality following the recent news.
“This makes us realise how strong he is mentally,” he told Sky Sports Tennis. “I can’t know what it’s like to live with this information inside you for months.
“He has still managed to be competitive, he has always played very well, won important tournaments like Cincinnati a week ago.
“Now he will certainly feel lighter, he will feel like he has taken a big rock out of his shoes and will finally be able to focus on tennis and try to play well at the US Open that he hasn’t won yet.
“We remember here some of his spectacular matches, against Carlos Alcaraz and everything. I think he’s feeling much better mentally now; physically, we saw him in Cincinnati, he’s pretty good.”
Jannik Sinner News
Sinner has since parted company with physiotherapist Giacomo Naldi and fitness trainer Umberto Ferrara, but he has made it clear that he now wants to focus on his tennis.
Ljubicic acknowledges that the Italian and his team made a mistake as he revealed just how “complicated” it is when it comes to anti-doping procedures.
The Croatian, though, hopes the sport of tennis will learn from this episode.
“I think by now the whole tennis world has understood what happened. Very few people think that Jannik really tried to do something forbidden,” he said. “From what I read and hear, the only thing is that so many of our colleagues are a little surprised by the process that Jannik had and that no one had before him.
“Speaking of the physical therapist himself, no one blames him for doing anything wrong. So many others, after Jannik’s team’s mistake, will try to be even more careful about all the products you take, you use, because WADA is getting fiercer and fiercer in the fight against doping.
“It’s more and more difficult, if you will. We tennis players are always travelling, maybe you’re on the other side of the world and you need an aspirin, something, and you never know what you’re going to find in it. These are situations that make the life of the professional tennis player complicated.”
