Jannik Sinner says he considered quitting tennis before Australian Open, amid doping saga
The 23-year-old, who will return to action at Italian Open after short ban, ‘wasn’t in a very happy place’ before year’s first grand slam
Italian tennis star Jannik Sinner said this week he considered quitting the sport because of the turmoil surrounding his doping suspension.
When asked in a Rai TV interview on Tuesday if there was ever a moment when he wanted to give it all up, the 23-year-old hesitated briefly before responding: “Yes. I remember that I wasn’t in a very happy place before the Australian Open this year.”
At the start of January in Melbourne – a grand slam that he won – it was still unclear whether Sinner would face a lengthy suspension before his doping case from 2024, when he blamed a masseur for giving him a banned cream.
In the end, a deal was made whereby he would receive a short three-month ban and return for the Italian Open starting next week.
He said he was anxious around the turn of the year about what 2025 might bring.
“I arrived in Australia and didn’t feel comfortable, whether in the locker room or while eating. The players were looking at me differently,” he added. “That wasn’t nice.