NEW YORK – Jannik Sinner was met with warm applause rather than boos during his introduction before his first match at the U.S. Open on Tuesday. The audience at the sparsely filled Arthur Ashe Stadium welcomed the 23-year-old Italian, despite his recent involvement in a doping case. After a sluggish and disorganized start, Sinner managed to find his form and won the match against American Mackie McDonald with scores of 2-6, 6-2, 6-1, 6-2, securing him a spot in the second round at Flushing Meadows.
Sinner has been in the spotlight since he tested positive for traces of the anabolic steroid Clostebol for a period of eight days in March. It was announced just a week ago that he had lost both prize money and ranking points from the tournament where the initial test was conducted. However, he avoided suspension as it was determined that the substance had unintentionally entered his system through a massage from his physiotherapist.
In his first public comments regarding the incident, Sinner stated during a press conference before the tournament that he had fired the coach who purchased an over-the-counter Clostebol spray in Italy. This spray was used by the physiotherapist to treat an injury on Sinner’s finger, which unfortunately led to the transfer of the substance.
During a brief on-court interview, Sinner was not questioned about the doping case, which has drawn criticism from other players, including Novak Djokovic, who has raised concerns about whether some athletes are treated differently in doping cases. However, Sinner did express appreciation for the audience’s support, noting that it is always fantastic, and he thanked them for attending the match.
Against McDonald, who is currently ranked 140th and has a 2024 record of 4-13, Sinner got off to a disappointing start. He made several unforced errors, including a double fault and a simple smash that hit the net, which resulted in 14 unforced errors in the first set. McDonald seized the opportunity and won the set while leading in the second.
“I started a bit poorly. But of course, the first matches in any tournament are never easy. … I tried to stay mentally present and find my rhythm,” Sinner said after the match. “I will definitely try to improve for the next match against Alex Michelsen.”
Sinner quickly found his momentum, committing only 15 unforced errors in the last three sets, including none in the third set. This level of play is what is expected from him, especially on hard courts like those found in New York. He improved his season record to 29-2 on this surface, claiming four titles, including his first Grand Slam trophy at the Australian Open in January.