Italian Tennis Star Jannik Sinner’s Popularity Endures Amid Doping Controversy

Jannik Sinner secured the first two Grand Slam titles of his career this year, a period that also saw him fail two doping tests for a prohibited substance. Following the most successful season of his career, Jannik Sinner has achieved an almost revered status, akin to a select group of legendary Italian sports figures such as skier Alberto Tomba, motorcyclist Valentino Rossi, and footballer Roberto Baggio. At just 23 years old, Sinner has already cemented his place among the greats as the sole player from Italy to ever attain the world’s top tennis ranking. The intense public attention surrounding the athlete from San Candido upon his arrival at the ATP Finals in Turin—marked by photographers’ flashing cameras and screaming autograph-seekers held back by robust security personnel—underscored his significant demand. The ongoing and widely reported doping case appears not to have diminished this demand, judging by newspaper coverage and the enthusiastic crowd support at his matches. “This is a fully new dimension,” veteran Italian tennis journalist Ubaldo Scanagatta informed BBC Sport. “I have been attending Grand Slam tournaments since 1974, and I have only witnessed something similar for a tennis player once – in 1976 when Adriano Panatta won the French Open after beating Bjorn Borg in the quarter-finals.” Turin has experienced what has been dubbed ‘Sinnermania’. All 183,000 tickets made available for the ATP Finals—30,000 more than in 2023—were sold out days before the event commenced. On the secondary market, admission for group-stage matches reached 600 euros (£500). For the final, where spectators hope to see their red-haired idol, known as the ‘Orange Fox’, tickets are fetching 1,500 euros (£1,250). His visit to a medical center for fitness assessments prior to the tournament evoked memories of the mass hysteria and boundless enthusiasm witnessed six years ago at Juventus’ sports clinic when Cristiano Ronaldo signed. His tennis prowess and calm, understatedly humorous off-court demeanor have endeared him to the nation and sparked competition among leading Italian brands for his endorsement. “Jannik represents a new way of being a tennis number one, one very close to people,” stated Diego Nargiso, a former world number 67 and currently the master of ceremonies at the ATP Finals, the season-ending competition for the top eight men’s singles players and doubles teams. “He’s so simple and down to earth. That’s why the people – and the sponsors – love him.” A key attribute of Sinner is his mental resilience. This not only enables him to elevate his performance during crucial moments but also helped him navigate the most challenging period of his career. In March, Sinner twice tested positive for trace amounts—less than one billionth of a gram—of clostebol. Clostebol is an anabolic steroid that, in significant quantities, can enhance performance. It is also utilized in the treatment of skin wounds. Sinner’s legal team contended that he was unintentionally contaminated by his physiotherapist, who had applied a healing spray to a cut on his own hand before treating the player. In August, an independent panel from the International Tennis Integrity Agency determined that Sinner bore “no fault or negligence” for the positive test results. However, as Sinner aimed to move forward, the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas). Wada asserts that he should be held accountable and is seeking a ban ranging from one to two years. The backing Sinner has received this week in Turin reflects how many in Italy perceive the case and the doping allegations. “Jannik, Italy is with you,” proclaimed Gazzetta dello Sport, one of the country’s leading newspapers, on the day of his initial match. After Sinner defeated Taylor Fritz in his second ATP Finals match on Tuesday, the 14,000 fans in the Inalpi Arena—many sporting fluorescent orange shirts, wigs, and carrot costumes—began chanting his name so loudly that he paused his congratulations to his opponent to acknowledge them. The likelihood of his fans’ sentiments shifting, even if Cas rules against Sinner and imposes a suspension, appears minimal. Sinner’s situation bears resemblances to that of former Atalanta footballer Jose Luis Palomino, who also tested positive for clostebol twice in 2022 but was subsequently cleared of any wrongdoing. “Clostebol is contained both in Veterabol, a veterinary medicine Palomino was exposed to, and in Trofodermin, the drug Sinner was exposed to,” explained Alberto Salomone, a professor of analytical chemistry at Turin University and Palomino’s scientific consultant during his case. “Both are used for their proven cicatrizing power.” “During my career I have assisted about 20 athletes in similar situations; all of them had three things in common: they were Italian or living in Italy, the low concentration of the substance, the presence in their entourage of someone who had used Trofodermin.” Sinner’s two positive tests for clostebol occurred within a week, showing similarly low concentrations. According to Salomone, Trofodermin is available without a prescription only in Italy and certain Central American countries. Italian law mandates that Trofodermin packaging must display a clear symbol indicating the presence of a substance listed by Wada as prohibited. Despite these warnings, several Italian athletes across tennis, football, and athletics have tested positive for clostebol in recent years. Observing the frequency of cases, anti-doping laboratory scientists in Rome published a study in 2020. This study included various experiments, the most notable of which involved applying Trofodermin to a participant’s hands, who then shook hands with seven others 30 minutes later. “Five of those tested positive to clostebol,” Salomone noted. “The scientific evidence is there and the ITIA judgement confirmed it.” Skepticism regarding Sinner’s case persists among some, including several of his ATP peers. Cas will be responsible for assessing Sinner’s potential negligence once a hearing date is confirmed. In the interim, however, Italy is celebrating the achievements of its world number one.