Sinner Considered Quitting Tennis Before He Accepted 3-month Ban In Doping Case

Jannik Sinner considered leaving tennis entirely earlier this year before he accepted a three-month ban in a settlement with the World Anti-Doping Agency.

Asked during an interview with Italian state TV RAI if he ever thought about quitting, the top-ranked Sinner replied, "Yes.

"I remember before the Australian Open this year, it wasn't a very happy time," Sinner added. "I didn't really feel comfortable in the locker room, where we were eating. Players were looking at me differently. I said to myself, 'Maybe I need to take some time off after Australia.' I didn't want the ban though."

Sinner won his second straight Australian Open title in January.

It wasn't until February that the settlement was made in the doping case, after WADA appealed a decision last year by the International Tennis Integrity Agency to fully exonerate Sinner for what it deemed to be an accidental contamination by a banned anabolic steroid in March, 2024.