Jannik Sinner was very happy to see that fans were still behind him in his first match at the 2024 US Open after his most recent doping saga.
Sinner was playing an American player, Mackenzie McDonald, so naturally, not everyone in the crowd would be on his side in his first match at the Arthur Ashe Stadium this year. The Italian's reputation certainly took a big hit recently with the doping scandal, which will prove to be largely non-consequential for his career.
He was recently cleared of any wrongdoing, but it's something that he will have to wear for the rest of his career. It didn't leave a mark on his mentality, as Sinner battled back from a bad start to win the match in four sets
It was an impressive display from the Italian, who arrived in New York with the Cincinnati Open trophy in hand. That run only further confirmed that he will be among the top favorites at the last major of the season.
The support of fans was also there, for the most part. Many fans cheered on him, even though not all. He was happy seeing that because there wasn't any certainty that the feedback would be that positive, given all the drama surrounding his case.
Sinner underlined that he had received lots of support from fans throughout this whole saga, which is also something he cherishes quite a bit.
"The response from fans, I feel it has been great, also throughout when the news came out, in the practice sessions, there was a lot of support, which I'm very glad and happy about that. It is still a little bit, you know, not easy. You know, you have to go through day by day."
Sinner further admitted that dealing with the fallout of this doping saga is still not easy. It's still something he wrestles with daily, but he's happy to be where he is—still playing and competing. With a day off on Wednesday, the Italian hopes to better prepare for his next match.
"So, you know, obviously I'm very happy to be here in the position where I am, and then trying just to go day by day, really. Tomorrow I have one day off."
"One day of practice session, and hopefully I'm ready then to start the next match in a very positive way. Let's see if I'm able to that or not. So it's going to be interesting to see."
Many fans are closely watching how Sinner will do in New York because it is a hugely challenging event for the World No. 1 player on the ATP Tour. In some ways, it might be the hardest of his career, but if the past few months have shown anything, he can certainly handle this type of pressure.
He won the Cincinnati Open, at a time when he knew what was happening in the background, while the public was not aware. The only factor that now changed is the fact that the public knows about the situation, and some have not taken it lightly.
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