Jannik Sinner faces Jack Draper in US Open semi-finals weeks after doping exoneration

NEW YORK (AP) — Six months after Jannik Sinner failed two drug tests and two and a half weeks after he was cleared of alleging that small amounts of an anabolic steroid entered his system unintentionally through a massage, the world’s No. 1 tennis player will play in the semifinals of the U.S. Open.

His doping case, which raised questions among some players about whether Sinner was treated differently than others because of his position in the sport, has weighed on his road to the semifinal at Flushing Meadows, where the 23-year-old Italian will face No. 25 Jack Draper of Britain on Friday. No. 12 Taylor Fritz will face No. 20 Frances Tiafoe in the other men’s semifinal, the first in New York between two Americans in 19 years.

Asked how he has been able to stay focused on the court with everything going on off it, Sinner said: “Obviously, at the beginning… (it was) a difficult situation. But day by day it was getting better. So I’m happy about that. Let’s see now, in the semi-finals, what I can do.”

Sinner’s doping exoneration

The International Tennis Integrity Agency said Aug. 20 that it had determined — and an independent tribunal agreed — that Sinner should not be suspended because he was not at fault for testing positive twice, eight days apart, in March for Clostebol. Sinner’s defense? His fitness trainer, Umberto Ferrara, bought an over-the-counter spray in Italy containing the drug and gave it to Sinner’s physical therapist, Giacomo Naldi, to treat a cut on Naldi’s finger. Naldi then gave Sinner a massage without wearing gloves.

Sinner said on the eve of the US Open that he had fired Ferrara and Naldi.

“Because of these mistakes, I don’t feel confident enough to keep making mistakes,” Sinner said. “All I need now is some fresh air. I’ve had a lot of difficulties in the past few months.”

Naturally, the whole episode has been a big talking point in the tennis world. Novak Djokovic said he understands other players’ concerns about a potential “lack of consistency” in the process. Rafael Nadal said he doesn’t think Sinner wanted to dope. Roger Federer, like Djokovic, said he understands why there were questions about a double standard and, like Nadal, said he doesn’t think Sinner was trying to break the rules.

Is Sinner the favorite to win the title?

According to BetMGM Sportsbook, when Djokovic and Alcaraz lost in Week 1, Sinner became the favorite for the title. After defeating 2021 US Open champion Daniil Medvedev in the quarterfinals on Wednesday night, Sinner is the only man left in the field who has won a Grand Slam title, having triumphed at the Australian Open in January.

“He’s a tough player to play against,” said Medvedev, who lost the final at Melbourne Park in five sets after winning the first two. “He feels the game well. He chooses the right shot at the right moment many times.”

Draper, 22, and Fritz, 26, are making their first major semifinal appearances. Tiafoe, 26, made the semifinals at Flushing Meadows two years ago before losing to eventual champion Alcaraz.

Sinner has been to the semifinals at each of the four Slams once and is particularly strong on hard courts, where he is 33-2 with four titles in 2024.

Sinner’s advantage as a Grand Slam champion

He is the only man left in the field who has won a Grand Slam trophy, although Sinner is not so sure the relative advantage in experience matters at this stage.

“Whoever is in the quarter-finals, semi-finals or round of 16 deserves to be there,” he said. “You can’t take a win for granted. You always have to find a solution against every opponent.”

Draper, who has never made it past the fourth round at a major tournament, is a hard-hitting lefty who has won all 15 sets he has played at this US Open.

He and Sinner are friends and played doubles together in Montreal last month.

“We’ve always kept in touch since I started on tour over the last few years. Jannik is a good friend, someone I have a very close relationship with. We message each other in good times and bad,” said Draper, the first Briton to reach the semi-finals in New York since recently retired Andy Murray won the title in 2012. “It’s a tough sport to play when you’re young. You’re on tour, you’re playing a relentlessly intense sport, both physically and emotionally, and it’s tough. We don’t have many friends. So to have the support of someone who’s going through the same thing is really important.”

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Howard Fendrich has been AP’s tennis writer since 2002. Find his articles here: https://apnews.com/author/howard-fendrich

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