Jannik Sinner addresses doping case after beating Taylor Fritz in US Open men’s final

Italian Jannik Sinner defeated American Taylor Fritz in straight sets in the U.S. Open men’s final on Sunday. It was the first time Sinner, the world’s No. 1, has won the title, and the first time an Italian man has won the U.S. Open. Jannik Sinner, of Italy, returns a shot to Taylor Fritz, of the United States, during the men’s singles final of the U.S. Open tennis championships in New York, Sept. 8, 2024. It was disclosed late this summer that Sinner had tested positive for the banned anabolic steroid Clostebol, which he claims he encountered after his fitness trainer treated an injury on Sinner’s physiotherapist, who later worked on the player, leading to the trace amount in a test result. The revelation all but cast a cloud over a banner year in which he won five singles titles, including the first Grand Slam title of the year. Sinner called the saga a very tough moment for his team but maintained, “They know what, what happened and what I’ve done, which is I haven’t done anything wrong.” Despite the criticism from some players, Sinner said he could sense the enthusiasm from the packed Arthur Ashe Stadium crowd. According to the United States Tennis Association, more than one million people attended the U.S. Open throughout its three-week run. “They gave me so much energy, especially in moments where I was struggling and also today, this final, you know, playing against American and it was such a fair crowd,” the 23-year-old Italian said. Taylor Fritz, of the United States, reacts after scoring a point against Jannik Sinner, of Italy, during the men’s singles final of the U.S. Open tennis championships in New York, Sept. 8, 2024. Seth Wenig/AP For Fritz, Sunday’s tournament came on the heels of an all-American semifinal on Friday, where he beat American Frances Tiafoe. Fritz walked on court to Sunday’s final as the first American man to see a Grand Slam final since Wimbledon 2009, where Andy Roddick competed. “I didn’t, definitely didn’t hit the ball as well as I expected to,” Fritz said, adding, “That’s just kind of how it goes when you’re playing, you know, he’s the best player in the world right now.” “I feel like the fans, obviously, American fans, [have] been wanting a men’s champion for a long time, and I just, I don’t know, I’m pretty upset with how I played. I feel like, I don’t know, I feel like I almost let a lot of people down,” Fritz said. So I thought emotionally, you know, it’s obviously the U.S. Open final, I want to win it, it’s a really big moment. – This Summarize was created by Neural News AI (V1). Source: https://abcnews.go.com/Sports/jannik-sinner-defeats-taylor-fritz-us-open-mens-final/story?id=113496778