“Jannik Sinner was not banned because…”: Rafael Nadal's surprise revelation after Djokovic “fires up the world number one favorite” | Tennis News

World number one Jannik Sinner received support from legendary Rafael Nadal in his doping dispute. Nadal said he did not believe Sinner intended to use a banned substance and that the Italian tennis star received no preferential treatment when he was cleared of doping after testing positive for traces of an anabolic steroid twice in March.

“I trust that he was not punished because the judges in this case have clearly stated that there is nothing to punish. … I don't think the verdict has anything to do with the fact that he is number 1 in the world,” 22-time major champion Nadal said in an interview with “El Hormiguero” on Monday.

The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) announced on August 20 that Jannik Sinner's positive test for a banned performance-enhancing substance was unintentional and resulted from a massage given by his physiotherapist. Consequently, Sinner was spared a suspension.

When asked about the events in New York ahead of the US Open, Novak Djokovic acknowledged that he understood why some players perceived double standards in tennis and suggested that the ITIA's decision may have caused surprise among his colleagues.

Nadal, who had to sit out the US Open, said he had no reason to doubt the ITIA's decision. “I believe in the honesty of people. I know Sinner; I don't believe Sinner wanted to dope. At the end of the day, justice is justice and I believe in justice,” Nadal said. “I believe in the bodies that have to make decisions and that they do so based on what they believe is right.”

Meanwhile, Sinner made it to the last eight of the US Open for the second time by defeating 14th seed Tommy Paul 7-6 (7/3), 7-6 (7/5), 6-1 in Tuesday's fourth-round match. He will face former world number one Daniil Medvedev of Russia in the semifinals. Medvedev, the 2021 champion and runner-up to Djokovic last year, outclassed Portugal's Nuno Borges 6-0, 6-1, 6-3 to reach the quarterfinals for the fifth time in six years.

Since neither Carloz Alcaraz nor Novak Djokovic are in the tournament – ​​both have been eliminated – the winner of the quarterfinals between Sinner and Medvedev could well decide the champion of this year's US Open.