Nicolas Mahut, are you surprised by this call from the AMA?
NM: Yes and no! WADA could be expected to appeal. Afterwards, when we look in detail, there are still three judges from the independent tribunal who have worked or work for WADA. So somewhere, it is WADA which contradicts itself a little in this decision to appeal. Even so, it remains a semi-surprise. Because personally I expected it.
Is WADA playing big? Is his credibility at stake in this matter?
NM: Certainly. There was an outcry about saying that Jannik Sinner was protected, because he is world number 1, he is a big name, etc. Perhaps they are taking the lead on possible other cases which could prove positive. It’s a possibility.
Regarding the player Jannik Sinner, what is your perception of this matter?
NM: This will surprise you. I find that for Jannik Sinner, this call is both bad and good news. A bad one, because obviously, when you are on the circuit, and you think you have put this story aside, after having been cleared by the independent court, dive back into it, be with your lawyers again, talk about it History, going to each tournament and answering the same questions each time is polluting your brain.
Alcaraz or Sinner: who is the boss?
This is where he is very strong, he still manages to be very efficient. We saw it in Cincinnati when he won the tournament. But it remains complicated. But if he is cleared and exonerated again, there will be no doubt. We will say: ‘there was no preferential treatment concerning him.’ For him, it’s rather good news, because I don’t see WADA contradicting itself.
Some have spoken of “double standards” concerning the absence of suspension of Jannik Sinner following his two positive tests last March…
NM: Some may have had that feeling, yes, that’s certain. In this sense, WADA’s appeal is good. This will calm some minds who talk about preferential treatment. But I find that there is an inconsistency. If I understood correctly, if he was found guilty, he would lose his ATP points only from the final verdict, and not from the date of the tests. A legal aspect certainly escapes me. But one would have imagined that if he was found guilty, all his points would have been taken away.
Sportingly, won’t this impact him in his last third of the season?
NM: He has already proven by winning Cincinnati, while waiting for the verdict, that no. He proved at the US Open, although relieved at the absence of suspension, that by being under pressure, by weathering a media storm, by being the big favorite, that he resisted. He didn’t have to answer any questions about his tennis or his preparation. And he managed it very well. We will see at the end of the season… But I have no doubt that he manages to compartmentalize and remain competitive in sport.
What reaction, after the US Open and the Asian tour, will the European public have when they return to the courts?
NM: The announcement just came. Maybe it will be a little settled by then. It’s certain that if this call had come during a European tournament… There, in Asia, it’s a little quieter. But how long will the CAS take to make its decision? What will the investigations and research be? If it takes six months, it’s going to be a very long time for Sinner. If it’s shorter, all the better. I hope the verdict will be delivered before the end of the season.
Comments collected by Olivier Canton and Thomas Bihel
