Jannik Sinner came from a set down in Beijing. (Image: @TheTennisLetter)
Jannik Sinner said he is “very disappointed” that the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) have launched an appeal against him avoiding suspension for his failed drugs test. The news broke during the Italian’s last-16 win over Roman Safiullin, where he came from a set down to win for the second consecutive match.
But shortly after his 3-6 6-2 6-3 success, the top seed was pressed on developments, with WADA stating they want a ban between one and two years for the 23-year-old.
And Sinner didn’t hide his resentment, pointing to the fact he had already been cleared of any responsibility for his test result by the International Tennis Integrity Unit
“Well, we cannot control everything,” he said, when asked about the timing of the announcement. “Obviously I’m very disappointed and also surprised of this appeal, to be honest, because we had three hearings. All three hearings came out very positively for me.
“You know, I was not expecting it. I knew a couple of days ago that they were going to appeal, that today it’s going to go official. But yeah, it’s a surprise. We always talk about the same thing.”
The reigning Australian Open and US Open champion also implied WADA were simply trying to act out of duty, adding: “Maybe they just want to make sure that everything is in the right position.”
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Sinner celebrates a point against Safiullin. (Image: Getty)
Prior to his press conference, Sinner had underlined his ambition to defend his title in Beijing, having appeared below his best so far. He’ll now face unseeded Czech player Jiri Lehecka in the last eight on Monday.
“If I want to win this tournament, I need to raise my level,” he admitted, in his post-match interview on court. “This is also our goal. I think I play after tomorrow so I have a rest day and I’ll try to get into my rhythm.
“If I want to win my next round, I have to raise my level. But also today was a high level match. He’s an incredible player. We’ve always had great battles. Let’s see what’s coming.”
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