Matteo Berrettini was hugely impressed with how his compatriot Jannik Sinner handled his doping saga because it was not an easy situation.
There are only a handful of things that tennis players want to avoid at all costs. Injuries are at the top of that list, but doping sagas are a close second. Even if it's unintentional, a situation like that can go really badly.
Simona Halep's case showed just how complicated it can be, and plenty of others had this unpleasant experience during their tennis careers. Sinner found himself in a similar situation recently when he tested positive for a banned substance, clostebol.
Luckily for him, he didn't get suspended from the sport because his explanation and the amount found contributed to the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) ruling that he was allowed to compete while the investigation was being done.
That happened over the past few months, which certainly impacted Sinner. Nobody knew it because it wasn't publicly disclosed, but his results suffered a bit. Despite being still successful, he hasn't played his best tennis over the summer on the ATP Tour.
His compatriot Berrettini was hugely impressed with what Sinner was able to do during a time which clearly would be very tough for him, and he spoke about it ahead of the 2024 US Open, where both are set to compete.
"I think these have been difficult months for him, it's impressive how he's handled everything. I complimented him. Nobody would want to be in his shoes, but I know him well and I'm sure it was a mistake."
There have been some interesting reactions to the situation from the other players. Some players, like Nick Kyrgios and Denis Shapovalov, reacted negatively to how the saga unfolded, especially how Sinner avoided suspension and kept the case quiet.
They were certainly not the only ones who questioned the process; many fans on social media voiced their grievances as well. What is known is that every party involved followed the procedure and rules.
Sinner cooperated and, after a thorough investigation, was cleared of any wrongdoing. He did lose his points and prize money from Indian Wells, where he tested positive for the substance, so that rule was also enforced.
Some others, like John Millman, backed Sinner's claim of innocence while also raising some concern over how those decisions are being made. Berrettini fully backed his compatriot because he knows him well and is sure he wouldn't ever do something like that.
He also admitted that he did notice something different with the Italian, but after the news came out, he fully understood everything that he has noticed over the past months.
"I saw something different in his eyes, maybe less joy than usual. When everything came out, I understood what was cooking."
It was an unfortunate situation for Sinner, who will hope to leave everything behind in the coming fortnight and solely focus on the US Open.