Jannik Sinner made honest confession on feelings for WADA appeal

11/25/2024 05:31 AM

Jannik Sinner closed his triumphant season by confirming the success at the Davis Cup Finals. Arriving as defending champions and winning the trophy again is a great feeling, said the young Italian at the press conference, underlining how having Matteo Berrettini as a player and teammate was special and important to achieve this result.

A sensational season for the ATP No.1, stained by the Clostebol doping issue and the WADA appeal to CAS: the request of the World Anti-Doping Agency is for 1-2 years of disqualification.

At the press conference on the sidelines of the victory against Holland, Jannik honestly admitted how the WADA appeal is present in his head, underlining however that he and his team have already had three hearings and all went well. Sinner said to continue to have faith that it will be the same for the next one. The Italian also said the most important part is that all the people who are around him and who know him as a human being trust him: this is the secret that allows him to continue playing at these levels.

"Obviously I had ups and downs, I had some down moments. However I collaborated for the first three hearings and it went well, we will see how the fourth one goes. I will do everything I can control. For now I will enjoy a few days of rest, it has been a long season," he explained.

Journalists in the press room asked the young Italian if he felt a bit of tension when closing on 5-2 and serving 40-0: Jannik said that it could have been the last point of an incredible year and there was a bit of emotion, with Berrettini intervening saying that Sinner also showed he is human, getting emotional.

Regarding the upcoming 2025 tennis season, the ATP No.1 said he will be home for Christmas: in what for him is a day to spend with his family, while he will begin his winter training in Dubai.

Sinner then compared this season's Davis Cup journey to the one he took last year, when, analyzing: "Last year we also had to play doubles in the semifinal against Novak Djokovic's Serbia. Being on the court less yesterday helped. But every year it's a different situation. We are very happy to lift this trophy."

Finally, Jannik revealed that the most suffered defeats of 2024 were the one suffered at the Monte Carlo Rolex Masters against Stefanos Tsitsipas and the quarterfinal at the Wimbledon Championships against Daniil Medvedev.

Berrettini also expressed his immense joy for the Davis Cup victory. If the Italian tennis player was injured last year and was present as a spectator and first fan, this year instead he was among the protagonists of his team's success.

"It was a hard-fought but much-wanted victory. I have to thank Jannik Sinner and all my teammates, it's a huge emotion. We are a united group, one of my driving forces for 2024 was to return to Davis and be competitive. Last year, I was here, we looked at each other in the eyes and said: this guy is different from all the others. We couldn't believe that he could hit so hard and everything remained on the court.

Since then he has only lost six matches and shown that he is the best in the world. But as you have seen, he is also the most humble player there is. He came here as if he hadn't won the ATP Finals a few days ago. He showed great respect for the team. Before entering the doubles court against Argentina he asked the whole team, he went to ask if everyone was okay with that decision and it's something special. The way he manages relationships is fantastic, and that's what makes him special," explained the Italian.

Berrettini also analyzed the news about the new coach and the program he intends to carry out in view of the Australian Open. The ATP No.35 has so far narrowly missed the possibility of being seeded in Melbourne.

"It was one of the objectives to be seeded in Melbourne, I was unable to achieve it but I achieved the objective of winning the Davis Cup which was much more important. In January I will certainly play the first week of the year, but I have not decided where yet. As for the coach, as soon as there is news I will let you know," he added.

Finally, the Italian thanked all the guys who worked behind the scenes, the physiotherapists, and all those in Malaga who did an extraordinary job.