Jannik Sinner earned praise from Rafael Nadal's uncle, Toni Nadal, for his mental strength after overcoming the news of his two positive tests to win the US Open.
Fans around the world were shocked by the news that Sinner tested positive for clostebol on two occasions in March during the Indian Wells Open. The case was kept private for five months until the investigation was complete.
Sinner was cleared of wrongdoing and avoided a ban. But he did lose his ranking points and prize money from the tournament, making his lead as the current world No. 1 slightly smaller than it would have been.
Although the Italian received much support in the tennis world, others were more critical. Nick Kyrgios, who Andrea Petkovic recently criticized for his behavior, said he should have been banned for two years.
Former world No. 1 Lindsay Davenport also questioned how Sinner was allowed to keep playing. The 1998 US Open winner does not hold a grudge against the 23-year-old but is skeptical about the consistency of the process.
What cannot be doubted is the scale of Sinner's achievement at Flushing Meadows this year. He beat Taylor Fritz in a one-sided final to secure his first US Open and second major title overall after also triumphing at the Australian Open at the start of the year.
Many had written off Sinner's chances in New York before the tournament began, believing the stress from the doping case being made public would negatively impact him, but he confounded those expectations.
Toni Nadal was impressed by Sinner's mental strength to make that success a reality. The Spaniard also believes that the world No. 1's clear conscience and knowledge that he did not deliberately take clostebol helped him.
"In the week before the start of the competition we were wondering how the incessant controversy generated by his possible double doping could affect him, after the final and his magnificent performance, the Italian has shown once again that he not only has one of the best games on the circuit but also has the temperament to face really complicated situations. Surely the fact that he has a clear conscience has helped him to cope."
The 63-year-old understands what mental toughness looks like better than anyone after his long period coaching his nephew, Rafael Nadal, who is one of the mentally strongest athletes in sporting history.
Sinner still has much work ahead of him to be considered as mentally, physically, and technically strong as Nadal was at his best. However, the Italian's incredible improvements this year mean he could reach that level in the future.
He will undoubtedly fight Carlos Alcaraz for the biggest titles for many years to come. Sinner dominated the hardcourt Grand Slams this year, but his Spanish rival won the French Open on clay and Wimbledon on grass.
Alcaraz also has four Grand Slams compared to Sinner's two. Both men's young age means there is plenty of time for those numbers to change significantly in the coming years.
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