They won’t show those missed championship points from Sinner, and certainly won’t show the sport breathing a sigh of relief, with the outcome of this marvellous final further burying a footnote some would prefer to be forgotten entirely.
It was the hottest ticket in town, with Dustin Hoffman, Antoine Dupont, Pharrell Williams, Natalie Portman and George Russell all joining tennis royalty and thousands of others inside Court Philippe-Chatrier. Someone pass the popcorn, or in Hoffman’s case, fries.
Dustin Hoffman had one of the best seats in the house (Photo: Getty)The hype beforehand was understandable. From a broadcaster: natural. The pair had met 11 times but never in a grand slam final. Neither had previously lost a slam final either, meaning a zero had to go, while few pundits dared predict with any level of conviction.
He had a “few months out”, John McEnroe said beforehand, while Tim Henman praised the Italian’s mentality and ability to compartmentalise the “dark cloud” that formed from the “drug issues over his head”.
square TENNIS The problem with Jannik Sinner's three-month doping ban
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“It might have been longer but it wasn’t,” Mullins noted, ending the topic with a “but anyway… here he is”.
Fair enough? Player gets ban, player serves ban, shouldn’t we all just move on? Why focus on the negatives when the mighty positive is a burgeoning rivalry that looks set to carry men’s tennis for the next decade?
This would be easy to do if the ban hadn’t arisen from a compromise. Far easier if Sinner had been cleared entirely. And not even a debate had this suspension been longer, which would have meant this final never was.
WHAT A MATCH POINT #RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/ocjYQIVUlt
It led to two failed drugs tests last March but initially no ban as Sinner was found to bear “no fault or negligence”. The World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) disagreed, arguing players should bear some responsibility, and though seeking a one to two-year suspension Wada eventually negotiated and agreed on three months, a spell that sits uneasily among many within the sport.
With tennis boasting one of the most relentless schedules in sport, it even felt like an advantage, a chance to physically prime himself for Roland Garros and a surface he was yet to fully conquer.
square TENNIS Tennis has a doping problem
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Tara Moore is the prime example. The British doubles player lamented “19 months of lost time and emotional distress” when having her doping ban overturned in December 2023, and told The Times last year she is in debt having spent £200k to prove she wasn’t a cheat.
His lawyers helped argue his case, and while he is fully entitled to acquire the best in the business, it is this access and discrepancy across the sport that prompted calls for change.
It’s a step, one inspired by Moore, who co-founded the PTPA’s Athlete Counsel & Equity (ACE) Program, but one that does not really apply to Sinner given his personal wealth and position within the sport.
Sinner, after all, will be at the top for a while. He dismantled Djokovic, outmanoeuvring the master of court coverage in the semi-finals, and though he lost to Alcaraz they are set for many more meetings on this stage.
Legendary. Thank you guys #RolandGarros pic.twitter.com/x7r6EFNiCU
A hat-trick isn’t out of the question, but perhaps there is still room to win over a few more supporters, particularly those who struggle to shake off the ill-feeling from this ban.
Moore will never get those months back, while already Sinner is performing not only as if those three months never happened, but as if they actually helped. The loss somewhat lays this ban to rest, but it still doesn’t feel right.
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