Jannik Sinner nearly walked away from tennis earlier this year, revealing he seriously considered quitting before accepting a three-month ban in a settlement with the World Anti-Doping Agency.
In an interview with Italy’s RAI, the world No. 1 admitted, “Yes,” when asked if retirement had crossed his mind.
“Before the Australian Open, it wasn’t a happy time,” Sinner said. “I didn’t feel comfortable – in the locker room, at meals – players were looking at me differently. I told myself, ‘Maybe I need to step away after Australia.’ But I never wanted the ban.”
Despite the inner turmoil, Sinner went on to defend his title in Melbourne, clinching a second straight Australian Open crown in January.
It wasn’t until February that the settlement was reached in the doping case, after WADA appealed a decision last year by the International Tennis Integrity Agency to fully exonerate Sinner for what it deemed to be accidental contamination by a banned anabolic steroid in March 2024.
“I had a tough time accepting these three months because I knew that I didn’t do anything wrong. So why do I have to pay this price?” Sinner said. “But then we discussed it with my lawyer and about what could have happened in the worst-case scenario, and so we decided to accept it.”
The handling of Sinner’s case raised questions about double standards. The positive tests weren’t publicly revealed until August because Sinner successfully appealed against being provisionally banned from playing. He then won the U.S. Open in September.
The settlement also raised eyebrows, as it conveniently allows Sinner to return next week at the Italian Open – his home tournament – without missing any Grand Slams.
“The last year was definitely very stressful,” Sinner said in the interview, which aired late Tuesday. “But we were still able to obtain incredible results. We started this year really well, too. Then what happened, happened. At the start it was a bit strange to find myself in that situation. Also, a lot of things happened off the court that I didn’t expect.”
Several top players suggested Sinner was treated too lightly.
“I don’t even want to respond. Everyone is free to say what they want. For me, the important thing is that I know what happened,” Sinner said. “I don’t wish it upon anyone who is innocent to go through what I went through.”
Despite having played just one tournament this year, Sinner held on to his top ranking during the ban because No. 2 Alexander Zverev and No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz didn’t earn enough points in his absence to overtake him.
“I miss the competition,” Sinner said. “I’m very happy that this period is done, and I’m ready to play again.”
