Top-seeded Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner is competing in the U.S. Open amid a wave of controversy after it was revealed that the 2024 Australian Open winner would not be suspended after testing positive twice for an anabolic steroid in March. 

Last week, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) announced its decision that Sinner was not at fault for two anti-doping violations in March when he tested positive for the prohibited substance clostebol twice within an eight-day period. 

A provisional suspension was applied both times, but Sinner successfully appealed each suspension and was able to continue competing. 

The news broke after Sinner won the Cincinnati Open and on the heels of the U.S. Open, leaving many in the tennis community to speculate as to why the issue was seemingly kept under wraps and if a double standard was applied in this case because of his success.

But eight-time Grand Slam champion Andre Agassi defended Sinner in a recent interview with Fox News Digital.

“Was that material? I don’t believe it was material, nor do I believe he would ever take a risk to put that little of – it’s not possible,” he said. “Nobody is going to purposely take that risk. So, I do believe it.”

The investigation reportedly found that less than a billionth of a gram was in Sinner’s system. He said he was contaminated with the substance when his fitness trainer purchased an over-the-counter spray in Italy that contained clostebol and gave it to Sinner’s physiotherapist to treat a cut on the physiotherapist’s finger. The physiotherapist then treated Sinner while not wearing gloves.

Jannik Sinner of Italy is shown during the first round of the U.S. Open on Aug. 27, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

US OPEN WINNER ANDRE AGASSI BELIEVES AMERICAN TENNIS IS POISED FOR GRAND SLAM ‘BREAKTHROUGH’ IN MEN’S SINGLES

While some players questioned the explanation, others called for suspension and more consistency. But Agassi disagrees based on the facts of Sinner’s case. 

“If you’re going to performance enhancement cheat, you’re not going to put a billionth of a gram of something in your body on purpose. You’re going to get a benefit from the performance enhancer if that’s your objective,” he said.

Agassi urged those with concerns about the process to direct their attention to the system and not the player. He added that Sinner’s ability to continue playing despite the ongoing case is something all players should be afforded.

Andre Agassi celebrates his victory after the men’s singles final of the Australian Open on Jan. 26, 2003. (Nick Laham/Getty Images)

“It’s not like when you missed three tests, or you don’t take three tests – like we’ve seen with a couple players – that’s an immediate action, right? So the quietness of it is always there in any due process, unless a player willingly chooses to talk about it. And his ability to play while it’s being appealed, it’s not necessarily a rule, it’s a law.”

“It’s sad for the sport,” Agassi added. “I don’t ever like that news coming out. I don’t ever like anybody having to go through it. I’m sure this has been a horrible time for Jannik carrying the weight of this, and I hope everybody directs it at solving a problem; if a problem exists. … I’m thinking the sooner we move past that, the better. This guy is great for the game, and I don’t think he cheats.”

Sinner, 23, has maintained that he did not purposely violate the ITIA’s anti-doping policy and has since parted ways with the two members of his team at the center of this controversy.

Jannik Sinner reacts after scoring a point against Mackenzie McDonald at the U.S. Open on Aug. 27, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

“Of course, it’s not ideal before a Grand Slam,” Sinner said at a press conference before his first-round match. “But in my mind, I know that I haven’t done anything wrong. I had to play already [for] months with this in my head but just [was reminding] myself that I haven’t done really anything wrong. I always respect these rules, and I always will respect these rules of anti-doping.”

Sinner advanced to the second round of the U.S. Open this week after a lackluster win over American Mackenzie McDonald on Tuesday. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Wednesday night wasn’t the first time Shohei Ohtani has stolen the show.

It was, however, the first time he had to snatch the spotlight away from his dog.

On a day fans began lining up outside the Dodger Stadium gates at 8 in the morning, staking out a spot in line to get a bobblehead with Ohtani holding his dog, Dekopin (aka Decoy), in his arms, both owner and pet put on a spectacle in the Dodgers’ 6-4 win over the Baltimore Orioles.

Dekopin received the night’s first big ovation, delivering the ceremonial first “pitch” by picking up a ball in his mouth and running to home plate — where Ohtani was crouched down like a catcher waiting.

From there, though, it was Ohtani who guided the Dodgers through a back-and-forth game with a fellow World Series contender in Baltimore, going two for four with a home run (his 42nd of the season), two steals (giving him 42 on the season) and three runs scored.

“I’m telling you,” manager Dave Roberts said. “Any big moment, he seems to rise up to the occasion.”

Ohtani opened the scoring with a leadoff home run in the first, collecting his first big fly since last Friday’s 40-40 clinching grand slam on a line drive to right.

He was in the middle of the action in a four-run third inning, lining an opposite-field single three at-bats before Teoscar Hernández launched a go-ahead three-run homer.

Then in the fifth, Ohtani almost single-handedly gave the Dodgers some insurance. After belting a line drive that Ryan O’Hearn failed to catch at first, Ohtani went from first to third on a stolen base and wild pitch and eventually scored on a two-out error, doubling what at the time was only a one-run lead.

“It’s a really special night,” Ohtani said through interpreter Will Ireton.

After starting August with a two-week slump (Ohtani batted just .181, albeit with seven homers, from Aug. 2-19), the National League MVP favorite is ending the month on a tear.

Wednesday was his fifth multi-hit game in the last seven. It was his 10th game of the year with at least one home run and one steal. And, before striking out in his final trip to the plate in the seventh, he was serenaded with “MVP!” chants from a sold-out crowd of 53,290 that — more than usual — was there for him.

And his dog.

“I heard that Decoy was going to throw the first pitch and — I’m impressed that the dog was already that trained,” Roberts said. “I guess if it’s Shohei’s dog, nothing should be that surprising. That was pretty impressive.”

Ohtani said he and Decoy had been practicing his first pitch for the last three weeks, including a “dry run” at the stadium.

“I hope to buy some special snack for him,” Ohtani said.

There were some nervy moments early on for the Dodgers.

After Ohtani’s leadoff blast, the Orioles struck for three runs in a second-inning rally fueled by poor defense. With one out, Max Muncy misfired on a throw to first. A batter later, Cedric Mullins struck out on a pitch in the dirt, but reached base after catcher Will Smith seemingly forgot to throw the ball to first.

“I don’t know what team was playing defense that second inning,” Roberts said

Instead of the inning being over, Ramón Urías laced a two-run double and James McCann added an RBI single.

And, like so many other times this year, it left starting pitching Walker Buehler on the verge of going off the rails.

This time, however, the right-hander settled down, found some rhythm and completed perhaps his best start of the season.

With better first-pitch efficiency (13 for 23 on first-pitch strikes) and two-strike execution (he only gave up one hit and one walk in such a count), Buehler gave up only one other run in 4⅔ innings Wednesday — and even that was the result of more bad luck, coming on an RBI double from O’Hearn a batter after Buehler failed to get an apparent strike call on a full-count check swing.

“We haven’t seen that in quite some time,” Roberts said of Buehler. “For him to reset, gather himself and still throw the baseball the way he did was big for his confidence, for us, and I’m looking forward for him to build on this.”

Buehler still has an ugly 5.88 ERA this season, his first since undergoing a second career Tommy John surgery in 2022. He has only managed to work past the fifth inning in three of 11 starts, a far cry from the All-Star form he once displayed as the ace of the Dodgers rotation.

But over 90 pitches Wednesday, in which he struck out four and got a season-best 12 whiffs, he at least showed some semblance of promise, helping put the Dodgers (who also got 4⅓ scoreless inning from the bullpen) in position to capitalize on Ohtani’s big night.

“I’m as encouraged as I’ve been since 2021,” Buehler said. “I didn’t have to tell myself to do something and hope it worked out. I felt a lot more like when I picked up my leg I was able to throw the ball over the plate … When I go to sleep I’ll feel like I’m somewhat myself again, and that’s a big thing for me.”

Injury updates

— Tyler Glasnow will resume his throwing program Friday, after having a previously scheduled session of catch play this week scratched. Manager Dave Roberts said Glasnow, who went on the injured list Aug. 16 with elbow tendinitis, didn’t feel great after initially starting his throwing program last week.

The Dodgers are hoping this time around goes better for the 31-year-old right-hander. Roberts acknowledged this week that any further delays in Glasnow’s recovery might hamper his ability to get fully built up in time for the playoffs.

— Yoshinobu Yamamoto began his minor league rehab assignment with triple-A Oklahoma City on Wednesday, giving up one run in two innings while striking out two batters and sitting 94-95 mph with his fastball.

— Jack Flaherty came in feeling OK after taking a comebacker off his right throwing wrist Tuesday. Flaherty’s next start will be Sunday or Monday — depending on if the Dodgers decide to use a spot starter on Sunday in Arizona (triple-A pitcher Justin Wrobleski could be an option to pitch that day).

— Andy Pages will probably be the position player call-up when rosters expand in September, Roberts said.

— Austin Barnes (toe fracture) is expected to be activated Thursday. Brusdar Graterol (hamstring strain) will also be going out on a rehab assignment soon, Roberts said.

NEW YORK — On Tuesday afternoon, the world No 88, in the U.S. Open main draw as a wildcard, destroyed the 10th seed Jelena Ostapenko in the U.S. Open first round.

In theory, that sounds like a shock win, but the wildcard in question is Naomi Osaka, a two-time champion here and one of the biggest draws of the tournament.

Osaka may be a natural introvert, but she has the gravity of a superstar, even as a wildcard. From her sensational outfit — which on Tuesday included a customised green tennis dress and a large green bow on her jacket — to her eye-catching power, she had enough to pummel Ostapenko into a 6-3, 6-2 defeat in just over an hour.

Flushing Meadows is most associated with her two greatest triumphs. She won the U.S. Open title here in 2018 and 2020, beating Serena Williams in the first final on a famously tempestuous occasion — through no fault of Osaka’s — to announce herself as a star. But three years ago, it was the site of a breaking point. She threw her racket on multiple occasions and received a code violation for firing a ball into the crowd during an excruciating defeat to Canada’s Leylah Fernandez. When asked about what happened, she said: “I’m not really sure why.”

“Recently, I feel very anxious when things don’t go my way,” she said.

In the three years since, during which Osaka has continued to transcend tennis for her openness to discussing its impact on her mental health, Osaka had not won a match at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.

She returned to the sport in late December after giving birth to her daughter, Shai, and upon beating Ostapenko she looked to the sky as tears flowed, overcome by the emotion of her first victory in New York since 2021. There was a lot to process, but what actually set Osaka off went back to her childhood.

“It was a combination of a lot of different things,” she said after her victory.

“I grew up here, so just seeing kids, and then remembering my daughter, but also seeing kids coming and watching me play… And just remembering that I was a kid, I guess a long time ago, made me very emotional,” Osaka said.

Her mind also went back to this time last year when with her daughter not even two months old, Osaka watched on from the stands as Coco Gauff got on her way to winning the title. Osaka didn’t know then whether she could reclaim the level that made her a champion here twice, took her to world No 1, and brought her two more Grand Slam titles, both in Australia.

That feeling has carried on throughout much of 2024, which saw her begin her comeback after 15 months away from the tour on New Year’s Eve. The first half of the season included some promising results, including a barnstorming French Open clash with world No 1 Iga Swiatek, but the last few months have been tough. They have prompted introspection.

After a disappointing loss in the Cincinnati qualifiers to Ashlyn Krueger, Osaka again opened up.

“My biggest issue currently isn’t losses, though, my biggest issue is that I don’t feel like I’m in my body.”

Osaka, laying down on Arthur Ashe after winning the title in 2020, has opened up about her struggles in returning to tennis (Matthew Stockman / Getty Images)

It was a startling admission and perhaps reflected the pressure Osaka was feeling. Throughout the year, the message from those close to her had been that the former world No 1 should be judged not on the promise of the clay and grass swings, in which she found her feet, but during the summer hard-court season.

On her favourite surface, Osaka would come alive.

“It’s almost, like, you have a deadline and you’re crunching at midnight to try to make it,” Osaka said on Tuesday about the narrowing window she has to deliver on hard courts this year. Until Tuesday, her best individual performance had remained that stunning night match at the French Open, where she held a match point against Swiatek. In the two biggest hard-court events ahead of the U.S. Open, Osaka lost in the second round at the Canadian Open and then failed to qualify for Cincinnati.

Even giving herself the grace of returning to the tour after giving birth, Osaka was impatient and concerned. She likened her discomfort on court to how she had felt in general postpartum. Desperate to feel herself again in competition, on Tuesday that feeling returned.

The Louis Armstrong Stadium fizzed with anticipation after Osaka’s two-year absence. A striking matchup against Ostapenko, a top-10 player who can come alive on the biggest occasions — and has an unbeaten record against Swiatek — only added to the feeling that this match, like Osaka and Swiatek’s second-round encounter in Paris, would befit a late-stage occasion rather than an opener. Osaka, world No 88 or not, retains the gravity of all she has done in the sport no matter her ranking.

The match started evenly, but from the moment Osaka broke at 4-3 in the first set, the outcome was never in doubt. She started to hit her forehand with increasing freedom and venom; Ostapenko, a former French Open champion, had no answer.

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Osaka celebrated points with loud “come ons” and fist pumps and the crowd matched her noise and energy. In what was an outstanding exhibition of controlled aggression, she didn’t lose her serve throughout and banged down nine aces to secure a first win over a top-10 opponent for more than four years. After Osaka had clinched the victory with a cross-court forehand winner, she sat down and covered her face with a towel as the tears poured out.

“Just seeing the stadium really full, it meant a lot because I was, like, ‘Oh, I hope people come watch me play,’” she said afterwards.

She followed up that piece of disarming modesty by laying down the gauntlet in the most softly spoken and understated way imaginable.

“I feel like for me, this court is my home — it gives me so much more confidence.”

She also had extra motivation to beat Ostapenko on Tuesday, knowing that if she did, she would get the chance to wear the other outfit she had ready for the tournament. “That was very important to me,” Osaka said with a smile.

Where this run will lead is in question. Osaka next faces last year’s semifinalist Karolina Muchova of the Czech Republic, with another opportunity for a statement victory. Before all of that, she can soak in a win against a top-tier opponent and the U.S. Open can once again revel in the gravitational pull of a tennis superstar.

(Top photo: Robert Prange/Getty Images)