Andrea Petkovic has offered a straightforward explanation for Jannik Sinner’s absence from the nominations for the Stefan Sportsmanship Award and the ATP Coach of the Year award. The former world No. 9 suggested that the ATP may be “protecting themselves from a potential PR disaster.”
This year, Sinner achieved remarkable success, winning two Grand Slam titles and eight ATP Tour titles overall. He also led Italy to a Davis Cup victory, reached the world No. 1 ranking for the first time, and finished the season with an impressive 73-6 record. Statistically, the 23-year-old was the most successful player of the year.
However, when the nominees for Coach of the Year were announced, neither Sinner’s coach, Darren Cahill, nor his other coach, Simone Vagnozzi, were included. Despite Sinner being widely recognized as one of the calmest and most respectful players on the Tour—known for his decorum toward opponents, umpires, and ball kids—he was notably absent from the sportsmanship award nominations.
Petkovic highlighted this discrepancy during an appearance on the Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast, noting the absence of Cahill and Vagnozzi from the list of nominees, which included coaches like Xavier Malisse and Michael Russell. “It’s pretty crazy,” she remarked, reflecting on the situation.
Petkovic speculated that the ATP’s decision to overlook Sinner and his coaches could be linked to the doping case involving the young Italian. In August, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) announced that Sinner had failed two doping tests in March. However, he was cleared of any wrongdoing, as it was determined he did not knowingly ingest a banned substance. Despite this, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) decided to appeal the ITIA’s ruling, seeking a ban of one to two years, with a decision expected early next year.
Petkovic expressed concern over the potential fallout for the ATP if Sinner were to win the sportsmanship award only to face a doping ban shortly thereafter. “They don’t want him on the list if he gets banned… It’s self-protection,” she explained.
Rennae Stubbs agreed, emphasizing that if Sinner is cleared to play and his coach is allowed to coach, they should at least be included in the nominations. “That’s ridiculous,” she said.
Sinner himself admitted that the ongoing uncertainty surrounding his doping case has weighed on him. After concluding his season with a victory at the ATP Finals and leading Italy to consecutive Davis Cup titles, he acknowledged feeling emotionally affected by the situation. “Of course it’s in the head a little bit. Those who know me, I was emotionally a bit down,” he said in Malaga.
Sinner expressed disappointment and surprise at WADA’s decision to appeal, given the positive outcomes from his previous hearings. “I knew a couple of days ago that they were going to appeal… I’m very disappointed and also surprised about this appeal,” he stated in late September.
Related topics
