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D’Arcy Maine, ESPN.com
Sep 8, 2024, 04:32 PM ET
NEW YORK CITY– World No. 1 Jannik Sinner got here in New York more than 2 weeks ago dealing with a multitude of concerns and analysis over the news that he had actually been exonerated and prevented suspension after twice screening favorable for a prohibited compound in March.
His expectations for the United States Open were “low,” he stated at the start.
He leaves as a champ, having actually left little doubt about his status as the finest hard-court gamer in 2024.
Sinner, a 23-year-old from Italy, won the United States Open on Sunday behind a dominant 6-3, 6-4, 7-5 effort versus American Taylor Fritz in front of a dynamic, celebrity-filled Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd that was mostly versus him. There were “U-S-A” chants and “Let’s go, Taylor” cheers throughout, however Sinner was unfazed. He didn’t drop a single point on his very first serve over the last 2 sets of the match.
“He was too great,” the No. 12-seeded Fritz stated throughout the on-court prize discussion. He later on called Sinner “the very best gamer worldwide today.”
Having actually gathered his very first significant title at the Australian Open in January, Sinner ended up being the 3rd male– and initially given that Guillermo Vilas in 1977– to win his very first 2 Grand Slam trophies in the exact same season. He’s likewise the 2nd Italian gamer to win a songs title at the United States Open, signing up with 2015 ladies’s champ Flavia Pennetta.
For Sinner, the triumph marked a psychological end to a tough couple of months. The world discovered on Aug. 20 that he checked favorable for a trace quantity of clostebol, a prohibited anabolic steroid, two times in an eight-day period throughout the Indian Wells competition, however was cleared due to the fact that his usage was ruled unintended– his defense was that the steroid entered his system through a massage from an employee he later on fired.
[It] was hard since the pre-tournament situations weren’t simple,” Sinner stated Sunday. “I felt that I have actually grown match by match which my self-confidence level went greater and greater … I’m delighted how I managed this one. I’m simply delighted to have this prize with me.”
Sinner has actually dealt with concerns throughout the competition about the doping case and what followed. A number of gamers questioned the fairness of the judgment and contemplated whether he had actually gotten unique treatment due to his No. 1 ranking.
Sinner, for his part, called the circumstance a “error” and was determined about his innocence which he went through the “exact same procedure” as everybody else.
In spite of the news, Sinner was for the a lot of part warmly gotten by the New York crowd throughout his run. Even throughout the last, lots of Italian flags were found in the crowd, and his highlight-worthy points were consulted with loud ovations.
After having a hard time in the opening set of his very first match versus American Mackenzie McDonald,