Jannik Sinner beats Novak Djokovic in Shanghai Masters 1000 final

Has Jannik Sinner become Novak Djokovic’s bête noire? The Italian tennis player inflicted a new defeat on his Serbian counterpart – the fourth in their last five meetings – on Sunday October 13, during the final of the Masters 1000 in Shanghai (China), winning in two sets: 7 -6 [7/4]6-3.

The Transaplin is now assured of finishing the year as world number one, after a 2024 season which saw him win his first Grand Slam titles, at the Australian Open, then the US Open, and during which he won the Masters 1000 in Cincinnati (Ohio) and Miami (Florida).

Still, the 23-year-old faces doping charges, having tested positive twice for a banned substance in the spring. And, before the start of the tournament in Shanghai, Sinner admitted that he didn’t feel “not comfortable” because of the continuation of a procedure that he “thought it was over”.

“One to two years” suspension

Jannik Sinner was first cleared at the end of August by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) – a decision strongly criticized by certain tennis players, including the Australian Nick Kyrgios and the Frenchman Lucas Pouille. But a month later, the World Anti-Doping Agency appealed, demanding “one to two years” suspension against him.

In full rise after winning his first major title, in Melbourne, Jannik Sinner had undergone two positive doping tests for clostebol, an anabolic steroid, eight days apart: on March 10 during the tournament in Indian Wells (California) and March 18 out of competition, but just before the Miami tournament. Trace amounts of the substance were found in his urine. Both times he appealed, which allowed him to reduce his automatic suspensions (from April 4 to 5 for the first, from April 17 to 20 for the second)

The Italian defended himself by explaining that he had suffered “contamination by a member of his staff, who had applied an over-the-counter spray containing clostebol to his own hand to treat a small injury”according to the ITIA. It is now up to the Court of Arbitration for Sport to decide on this matter.

An almost blank year for Djokovic

After this new disappointment, Novak Djokovic’s season could be described as blank at this stage, without the nice touch of gold gleaned from the Paris Games and the Olympic gold medal that the Serb finally won, at 37 years old. , after the bronze obtained in 2008 in Beijing and three other unsuccessful attempts. A symbolic completion that completes the greatest record in the history of tennis.

The fact remains that for the first time since 2017, “Nole” has not won a Grand Slam or an ATP tournament since the start of the year. To remedy this, an appointment is made at Paris-Bercy, on October 28, for the last Masters 1000 of the year, where he will try to retain his title.