World tennis number one Sinner unbothered by doping controversy

Jannik Sinner (R) and his coach Darren Cahill during a training session. Photo by Reuters

In his first podcast since Sinner received a three-month suspension, coach Darren Cahill revealed that he did not need to console the Italian star, but rather received advice from Sinner himself.

"He told me not to worry about criticism from people you don't want to listen to," Cahill told AS. I wonder if he's really 23. He's mature beyond his years and a good, strong guy."

Sinner was handed the three-month suspension by WADA on Feb. 9 and is set to return to competition on May 4. He accepted the ban after taking responsibility for an incident in March 2024, when an assistant accidentally injected him with a banned substance. As a result of this negligence, Sinner attended three hearings with the International Tennis Integrity Authority (ITIA) last year but was ultimately cleared.

Despite this, Sinner faced significant backlash from the tennis community, particularly after it was revealed that the ITIA had concealed details about his case. Moreover, WADA negotiated the punishment to prevent the case from going to the Court of Arbitration for Sport—a move that could have resulted in a one or two-year ban for the Italian, which he accepted. The current suspension has sparked controversy, as it does not affect his participation in any Grand Slams this year.

Cahill mentioned that his student has gone on vacation to relieve the pressure of the suspension before returning to his normal training routine. Under the WADA sanction, Sinner is only allowed to train in private areas and cannot participate in tournaments. When he returns in May, he will have around six months of training with Cahill before the Australian coach retires at the end of the year. Cahill previously coached tennis stars like Lleyton Hewitt, Andre Agassi, and Simona Halep.