Sinner opens up about steroid saga after Davis Cup win

Jannik Sinner was in the locker room, getting ready to go on court and try to win a match that would give Italy its second Davis Cup title in a row.

Teammate Matteo Berrettini, who won the first match of the best-of-three final against the Netherlands on Sunday, refused to take anything for granted.

"I know tennis," he said. "It's unpredictable."

Not lately, though. Not when Sinner, who is just 23, is the one swinging a racket. He simply does not lose matches.

Doesn't even cede a set nowadays.

Wrapping up an eventful season that featured a 73-6 record and eight individual titles ? including at the Australian Open in January, the US Open in September and the ATP Finals a week ago ? Sinner led Italy past the Netherlands for the Davis Cup with a 7-6 (7-2) 6-2 victory over Tallon Griekspoor.

Consider that Sinner just completed the first season by a man without a straight-set loss since Roger Federer in 2005.

And what a way to finish: Sinner won his last 14 matches and his last 26 sets.

Go back a little further, and he's claimed 29 of his past 30 contests, with the only loss in that span coming against the other young player at the top of men's tennis, four-time major champion Carlos Alcaraz, who is 21.

Still, no discussion of Sinner's 2024 should ignore what went on away from the court: In August, shortly before the US Open began, he was exonerated after twice testing positive for a trace amount of an anabolic steroid in March.

The World Anti-Doping Agency's appeal of that ruling is still pending ? and could remain that way throughout the upcoming off-season.

"I mean, of course it's in the head a little bit," Sinner admitted.

"I always say, we had three hearings; three hearings which came out in a positive way. So hopefully also the next one (will).

"For me, the most important part is that all the people who are around me, and know me as a human being, trust me, no? That's also the reason I kept playing the level I had.

"Of course, I had some ups and downs, and whoever knows me, (knows) I was emotionally a bit down and a bit also heartbroken. But sometimes life gives you difficulties and you just have to stand for it."

Dutch captain Paul Haarhuis was asked for his take on Sinner's drug case.

"What's my feeling? I feel that Jannik, in my personal opinion, is an unbelievable nice guy (and) great player," Haarhuis said, "but we (might) never know what happened."

Italy's women won the Billie Jean King Cup by defeating Slovakia on Wednesday.

With agencies