Andrea Petkovic gets brutally honest on Jannik Sinner team exclusion from ATP awards

12/01/2024 08:55 PM

Andrea Petkovic thinks there is a very logical and simple explanation to Jannik Sinner not being nominated for the Stefan Sportsmanship Award and his coaches also not being candidates for the ATP Coach of the Year award as the former world No. 9 believes the ATP is "protecting themselves from a potential PR disaster."

This year, the Italian tennis star won two Grand Slams - a total of eight titles on the ATP Tour - led his nation to a Davis Cup title - reached the world No. 1 spot for the first time in his career - and posted an impressive 73-6 record. Statistically, the 23-year-old was the best and most successful player this year. 

But when potential candidates for the Coach of the Year award were announced, Darren Cahill and Simone Vagnozzi's names weren't on the list. 

Also, Sinner is widely regarded as one of the calmest and most collected players on the Tour and he never gets into any type of drama or anything like that. And since he treats everyone respectfully from opponents to umpires and ball kids, one would assume he would be the frontrunner for the sportsmanship award. But his name isn't on the list. 

"Coach of the Year nominees, Xavier Malisse from Alexei Popyrin, Emmanuel Planque from Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard, Michael Russell from Taylor Fritz, Brad Stine from Tommy Paul, James Trotman Jack Draper… No Darren Cahill," Petkovic said on the Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast. 

The Australian tennis legend responded by adding: "Or the Italian guy."

"Or yeah, Simone Vagnozzi," the former German tennis star added, to which her colleague on the podcast remarked: "That’s pretty crazy."

In August, the ITIA announced that the two-time Grand Slam winner twice failed a doping test in March but that he proved that he didn't digest a banned substance knowingly or intentionally. Also, he escaped provisional or real suspension after it was determined that he bore no fault or negligence for what happened. 

But then in late September, the WADA decided to appeal the ITIA's ruling and seek a ban in the range of one to two years. The decision is expected to come early next year, maybe February. 

So Petkovic thinks this way - imagine how it would made the ATP look if Sinner claimed the sportsmanship award and his coach won the other award but then he got suspended for doping. 

"It’s because if he gets banned, they don’t want him to be on the list... I think they’re basically, I don’t know if protecting is the right word, but let’s say just protecting themselves from a situation that he has the Sportsmanship award and Darren has the Coach of the Year award and then he gets banned for a couple of months," the 2014 French Open semifinalist explained.

Stubbs didn't disagree with the German but highlighted that they should have at least been on the list. 

"Listen, if you’re gonna let him play and you’re gonna allow Darren to coach, then why are you leaving them off that list? That’s ridiculous. I mean I can see it in a weird way but not really," the former doubles world No. 1 added.

However, Petkovic remained firm in her statement. 

"I think it’s just self-protection. They don’t want to have to explain anything... They want to just protect themselves from a PR disaster that the guy that has Sportsmanship award gets banned for doping," she stated.

After concluding his season by winning the ATP Finals and leading Italy to back-to-back Davis Cup titles, the 23-year-old confessed that he wasn't really at peace. 

"Of course it's in the head a little bit. The most important part is all the people who are around me, who know me as a human being trust me -- that's also why I kept playing the level I have. Those who know me, I was emotionally a bit down, a bit heartbroken. Sometimes life gives you difficulties and you just have to (deal with) it," Sinner said in Malaga.

Since the WADA didn't instantly appeal the ITIA's decision, it started to look like that scenario would be avoided. And when it happened, the world No. 1 was left "disappointed and surprised."

"Obviously I'm very disappointed and also surprised about this appeal because we had three hearings. All three hearings came out very positively for me. I knew it a couple of days ago, that they were going to appeal, that today it's going to go official," Sinner said in late September.