Jannik Sinner Photo

[jimlosaltos]

The young Italian and world number one player is featured in TPN's Tour Portrait for August. Please click this link to see him in action.

You'll find a range of his shots: "Modern" bent-arm forehand with severe Western grip, his third service motion in less than two years, and a great backhand he can slide into in an open stance out wide. What struck me in gathering these photos from multiple matches across two years at BNP Paribas Open, Indian Wells, in addition to his athleticism is Jannik's sheer reach. Laterally. Horizontally.

Jannik burst on the scene as a teenager, then his progress up the ranks was disrupted, I contend, by a growth spurt. While he's still listed at 6 ft 2 in, I'd guess he's a long, lanky 6 ft 4 in. Hard to bother someone with, say, a kick serve when he is that tall, jumps that far to hit groundstrokes, and comfortably takes backhands above head level.

Jannik lost at Wimbledon and then withdrew from the Olympics with what we now learned is tonsillitis. Here's hoping he gets back on track to clash with Carlos Alcaraz on the hard court swing

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All pics (c)jfawcette

[jimlosaltos]

Here's a photo I like less for the aesthetic than the statement it makes about Jannik's game.

"Get out of jail free" shots on the ATP have become kick serves wide in the deuce court, and high topspin forehands to the opponent's backhand.
But how do you get the ball up out of this guy's backhand sweet spot? He's perhaps 6 ft 4 in and a long, lanky 6-4, plus he's comfortable hitting a leaping backhand and getting his weight on left shoulder behind the shot. From Indian Wells this March.

Where' the impact on this -- 8 feet high?

Look forward to seeing jim rebound from tonsillitis that took him out of Wimbledon and the Olympics in time for the US Open.

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[stotty]

Yes he's been unlucky with injuries and illness...rotten timing. All the talk, in recent times, has been about Carlos and Novak. It's like Sinner doesn't exist right now despite being the world's number one player.

[jimlosaltos]

Yes he's been unlucky with injuries and illness...rotten timing. All the talk, in recent times, has been about Carlos and Novak. It's like Sinner doesn't exist right now despite being the world's number one player.

It is odd, how fast the "vibe" shifts.
Sinner was unbeatable, Alcaraz was so yesterday! Then Jannik is out -- not upset, not with a serious injury -- but from tonsillitis.
It feels as if Jannik didn't beat Djokovic 3 of 4 matches and win the Australian Open. Or that was 10 years ago

[jimlosaltos]

Surprising bit of bad news for Sinner fans. After he was upset by Rublev in Toronto, instead of citing his bout with tonsillitis, Jannik said he was stil bothered by his hip -- not physically but mentally.

This is an intersting point to me, because it echos what Alcaraz said after his arm problem -- that even after the arm stopped hitting, he had a hard time "trusting" it enough to cut loose. Clearly Carlos found the confidence in time to win the Chunnel Slam, but these kinds of admissions on uncertainty by pro athletes used to be unheard of and are refreshing.

[jimlosaltos]

ATP has an article on Jannik SInner's serving display in Cincinnati finals yesterday vs Frances Tiafoe.

Excerpts: "Jannik Sinner defeated Frances Tiafoe 7-6(1), 6-2 in the final of the Cincinnati Open on Friday on the back of his strongest serving display of the tournament.
Tiafoe only won 11 return points for the match, with Sinner holding five of his 10 service games to love.... Tiafoe only won five return points against Sinner's first serve and six against his second, according to Infosys ATP Stats ... Sinner won more than TRIPLE Tiafoe's return points.


Sinner Deuce Court Serve Location
Sinner, the first player to qualify for November's Nitto ATP Finals, opted for a confusing mix of locations with his first serve in the Deuce court. Ten went out wide, just one at the body, and eight down the T. Sinner won 9/10 out wide and 6/8 down the middle. All second serves were safely directed at the backhand jam location, where he won 9/11. With Sinner hitting his spots, the Italian only fell behind in the point score in two of his 10 service games, while Tiafoe had to play from behind in four of his.

Sinner Ad Court Serve Location
When Sinner needs a point in the Ad court, expect a booming, flat first serve out wide. He directed 10 first serves there, winning every point. The Italian went down the T only four times, winning three. Ten of the 12 second serves were once again at the backhand jam location. Overall, he dropped just two second serve points in the Ad court.

[jimlosaltos]

Just released on ESPN:

Top-ranked tennis player Jannik Sinner tested positive twice for an anabolic steroid in March, but he will not be suspended after the International Tennis Integrity Agency on Tuesday determined that the banned substance entered his system unintentionally through a massage from his physiotherapist.


He was provisionally suspended because of those test results, but he successfully appealed and was allowed to keep competing on tour. He will, however, lose the $325,000 and 400 points that he had earned at the tournament in Indian Wells.

In its ruling, the ITIA said the low levels of clostebol from the tests on March 10 and March 18 were "a result of contamination from a support team member, who had been applying an over-the-counter spray containing clostebol to their own skin to treat a small wound."

The support team member then passed along the anabolic agent transdermally via "daily massages and sports therapy" to Sinner.

https://www.espn.com/tennis/story/_/id/40928617/tennis-jannik-sinner-tested-positive-steroids-avoids-ban

[stotty]

Just released on ESPN:

Top-ranked tennis player Jannik Sinner tested positive twice for an anabolic steroid in March, but he will not be suspended after the International Tennis Integrity Agency on Tuesday determined that the banned substance entered his system unintentionally through a massage from his physiotherapist.


He was provisionally suspended because of those test results, but he successfully appealed and was allowed to keep competing on tour. He will, however, lose the $325,000 and 400 points that he had earned at the tournament in Indian Wells.

In its ruling, the ITIA said the low levels of clostebol from the tests on March 10 and March 18 were "a result of contamination from a support team member, who had been applying an over-the-counter spray containing clostebol to their own skin to treat a small wound."

The support team member then passed along the anabolic agent transdermally via "daily massages and sports therapy" to Sinner.

https://www.espn.com/tennis/story/_/id/40928617/tennis-jannik-sinner-tested-positive-steroids-avoids-ban

Yes I heard this today. The story seems to be almost farfetched but I guess it is possible as they have lowered the punishment.

[jimlosaltos]

Yes I heard this today. The story seems to be almost farfetched but I guess it is possible as they have lowered the punishment.

Mixed feelings for me. I can't imagine with the size and experience of Sinner's team that they could let this slip through BUT accidents happen.

On the other hand, with today's technology they can measure amounts of substances so small they can't possibly be of any benefit. The system makes everything B&W when the real world is shades of grey -- and they're measuring shades that are invisible to the eye.

[jimlosaltos]

Two ratings out today, Sep 12, from ATP's Tennis Insights have Sinner with the top forehand, over Alcaraz, And number one in four (4) categories

1) Return
2) Forehand
3) Backhand
4) Conversion

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[stotty]

Looks like the doping issue won't go away that easily for Sinner. WADA is unhappy with Sinner's light punishment and are making an appeal against the tribunal's verdict. WADA are seeking that Sinner be given a significant ban instead. Certainly Sinner's treatment has been incredibly lenient. I suspect because the game needs him, which it does.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2024/sep/28/wada-seeks-long-ban-for-world-no-1-jannik-sinner-over-positive-drugs-test

[jimlosaltos]

Looks like the doping issue won't go away that easily for Sinner. WADA is unhappy with Sinner's light punishment and are making an appeal against the tribunal's verdict. WADA are seeking that Sinner be given a significant ban instead. Certainly Sinner's treatment has been incredibly lenient. I suspect because the game needs him, which it does.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/20...ive-drugs-test

Strange indeed. I don't have a dog in this hunt. But I have less than zero respect for WADA, which seems to be more a political organization than a provider of a drug testing system.

As for whether Sinner got special treatment, I wouldn't be surprised. BUT one tennis pro that seems to know the rules well ( I think it might have been Daniel Vallverdu, ex Andy Murray coach, who has been the coach representative on the ATP Player Council or some such) went through the process in detail and said it was handled identically to the process for a low ranked player around the same time. There's an inverse relationship between players that complain the loudest and knowledge of the rules.

As for WADA's appeal, I can't judge but WADA's record in front of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (which I presume would hear this) is pretty terrible. They seem to lose continually from Sharapova to Halep. Problem is one's career can be over by the time the case is heard.

I'd be more impressed if WADA spent more time on the Chinese Olympic swimmers that were apparently doping than trying to punish Sinner for a ridiculous tiny contaminant from an over-the-counter skin cream while letting China and at Sochi, Russia get away with widespread, blatant nation-state cheating.

The whole "guilty until proven innocent" system, if it ever worked, is breaking down now that testing can find samples in the nano-gram range. One can be "contaminated" by eating a steak in Mexico, or picking up a crumpled wrapper or -- Gasquet's case, supposedly kissing a woman at Miami bar. Still not sure about that one.

[stotty]

I am all for innocent until proven guilty in all walks of life. The trouble - certainly in the UK - is the moment you get in the papers you get judged straight away, judged guilty in most cases, which is unfair if it transpires you aren't guilty. Often a person is left a question mark over their head even when they walk away not guilty - that's hard.

[jimlosaltos]

I am all for innocent until proven guilty in all walks of life. The trouble - certainly in the UK - is the moment you get in the papers you get judged straight away, judged guilty in most cases, which is unfair if it transpires you aren't guilty. Often a person is left a question mark over their head even when they walk away not guilty - that's hard.

Yup. Even worse here,. The UK may have its tabloid press but there are far more legal protections against liable than in the US.

Today's NYT / The Athletic:

"In the ITIA’s full decision, Professor David Cowan said that “even if the administration had been intentional, the minute amounts likely to have been administered would not have had […] any relevant doping, or performance enhancing, effect upon the player.”

And while some said the investigation was kept secret because of Sinner's ranking, the process followed "ITIA protocol."

“Having reached an agreed set of facts following a thorough investigative process, the case was referred to a tribunal entirely independent of the ITIA to determine level of fault and therefore sanction because of the unique set of circumstances, and lack of comparable precedent.

“The process was run according to World Anti-Doping Code guidelines; however, the ITIA acknowledges and respects WADA’s right to appeal the independent tribunal’s decision in the Court of Arbitration for Sport.”

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5801008/2024/09/28/jannik-sinner-doping-wada-appeal/