Jannik Sinner appears prepared for an on-court union with Nick Kyrgios at this year's US Open despite the Australian's recent unsympathetic comments about his doping case.
Kyrgios was among a handful of tennis players who publicly expressed their disappointment over Sinner's two failed drug tests in March, which made the headlines this past week.
The Italian was provisionally suspended after the Miami Open for testing positive for the banned anabolic steroid called clostebol. The lack of public announcement was what enraged most people within the tennis circles.
One of those was Kygios, who opined on X (formerly Twitter) that Sinner should have been banned for two years regardless of whether the banned substance entered his body by accident.
Other players have called out the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) for unequal treatment and lack of transparency in adhering to the anti-doping rules after Sinner was able to fight his case behind closed doors for five months while he kept on playing on the ATP Tour.
Kyrgios is not competing on Tour as he continues his recovery from a long-term injury, but he's making a career as a part-time pundit and podcaster. He is working with ESPN in its coverage of the 2024 US Open and occasionally interviews players after matches.
Journalists and fans have already floated the possibility that he might be asked to handle Sinner's on-court interview at the tournament, and both men have since responded to the idea.
Sinner has not rubbed shoulders with Kyrgios after the ITIA cleared him of any wrongdoing. He's faced two different reporters in his on-court interviews after beating Mackenzie McDonald and Alex Michelsen to reach the third round.
When asked how he would feel about being interviewed by the Australian should he win his third-round match, Sinner did not refute the prospect of it happening and did not dwell too much on Kyrgios' recent comments about him.
"I don’t know. I don’t want to respond on what he said. Everyone is free to say everything. It’s ok. If that is the case (on being interviewed by Kyrgios), let’s see. It’s gonna be different for sure (laughing). I don’t know what to say."
"Maybe I say something now and then the reaction will be something else. I’m always quite relaxed. I’m someone who forgets things quite fast. Everyone is free to say everything. It is what it is."
Kyrgios is known for being a polarizing figure whose comments can sometimes lack filter and has generally been the center of controversy.
However, in an interview with ESPN, he clarified that he didn't hold a grudge against World No. 1 and was merely questioning the unfair treatment in doping cases involving lower-ranked players.
"It’s nothing against Sinner personally at all. I know how important he is. He’s one of the greatest tennis players we have right now… Nothing against him personally."
"If you look at Jenson Brooksby and other players who’ve had their careers taken away for up to a year… someone like Sinner just doing it his own way. I think he had it on his own terms for most of the time. I don’t think that’s fair and equal for the rest of the tour."
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