Bresnik outraged:

Sinner case: “Number 200 would have been banned”

Jannik Sinner recently made headlines with positive doping tests.

(Bild: AFP/APA/Andreas SOLARO)

Jannik Sinner starts the US Open today with doping shadows.Günter Bresnik complains about the treatment of tennis players ...

The eyes of the tennis world will be on Jannik Sinner even more than usual today. The Italian world number one opens the hunt for his second Grand Slam title at the US Open in the evening against local hero Mackenzie McDonald and is definitely one of the favorites in New York. But in the run-up to the event, the 23-year-old's focus was less on his tennis and more on his doping case.

Tested positive for Clenbustol
Within a few days at the end of March, Sinner had tested positive for Clenbustol twice. This only came to light last week, at the same time as his acquittal in this case. The independent arbitration tribunal reached this verdict because they assumed that Sinner had gotten the substance into his body via the hands of his masseur, who had treated a wound on his own finger with a spray containing Clenbustol. This may well be the case, but many athletes have been banned in the past for taking a substance without their knowledge or fault. This is why some players were critical of Sinner's acquittal right from the start.

His top rival Carlos Alcaraz, who also starts the tournament today, said: "He was positive, but there must be a reason why they let him play." Novak Djokovic was more critical of unequal treatment: "I understand the players' frustration because there is a lack of consistency. We see a lack of standardized and clear protocols."

Günter Bresnik

(Bild: GEPA )

"Treated like criminals"
Austria's top coach Günter Bresnik also agrees: "If the number 200 had been in Sinner's place, she would probably have been banned," estimates the 63-year-old. However, he is much more annoyed by the way doping offenders are treated in sport itself. "They are treated like criminals," complains Bresnik. "If someone does something wrong, they should be punished. But if the conclusion is that he didn't do anything wrong, you don't have to make a big deal of such a case."