In a history book of tennis, the chapter covering the last 12 months would be called: a tale of two doping bans.
The suspensions handed to Iga Swiatek and Jannik Sinner of one and three months respectively caused a firestorm in the tennis ecosystem. Cries of special treatment, lambasting of the anti-doping system.
But as the dust has settled, as Sinner returned to the game in Rome, what deserves more analysis is the astonishing contrast in the impact of those two sagas on the 23-year-old athletes involved; a contrast perfectly summed up during a 10-minute window of time in Rome.
Sinner was minutes away from emerging on to the Campo Centrale for his first competitive match in three months. Such was the demand that us journalists had to apply for tickets.
Ten minutes before the scheduled start time of 7pm, an alert went round that Swiatek was on her way to speak to the media. Almost three hours ago the Pole had been roundly beaten by Danielle Collins. Most stayed glued to their seats on Centrale but a few of us scuttled off into a back corridor to speak to the defending champion.
The last few hours ‘haven’t been easy’ she said, with eyes reddened by recent tears. ‘For sure I’m doing something wrong. My mindset was wrong, I was focused on mistakes. I wasn’t present to fight and compete.’
Jannik Sinner (right) has soared since returning from his controversial three-month drug ban
Iga Swiatek has slumped to fifth in the world rankings, having previously been No 1 for so long
With that defeat, Swiatek fell from second to fifth in the world rankings and hustled out of Rome to lick her wounds, while Sinner marched imperiously to the final.
Since testing positive for the banned substance trimetazidine on August 12 of last year, Swiatek has played 13 events, won none and made a single final; of the 13 events before that test, she had won six.
Sinner meanwhile, won the very first event after his positive tests, the Miami Open last March. Six more titles have followed, as he rose from world No 3 to world No 1, a ranking he retained even during three months of inactivity.
Why has Swiatek’s form been affected so profoundly, while Sinner seems so impervious?
A key difference in the two doping cases – and a large part of the controversy around them – was the speed with which Sinner was able to successfully appeal his provisional suspension.
Suspended on April 4; suspension lifted on April 5 after he successfully argued the clostebol entered his system via a massage from his physio, who had treated a cut on his finger with a spray containing the anabolic steroid.
Swiatek’s timeline was thus: provisionally suspended on September 12; appeal logged on September 22; suspension lifted on October 4. In her case, the failure was due to a contamination of the – permissible – sleep medication melatonin.
Throughout this 22-day suspension, the case was proceeding behind closed doors, leaving Swiatek in the absurd position of having to effectively lie about her reasons for not competing. ‘Personal reasons’, ‘fatigue’ and ‘a change of coach’ were the reasons given.
Sinner lifted the Australian Open title in January days before his suspension was announced
Swiatek has played 13 events, won none and made one final, far worse than the 13 events prior
Throughout her 22-day suspension, the case was proceeding behind closed doors, leaving Swiatek in the absurd position of having to effectively lie about her reasons for not competing
One of the most apt criticisms of the two cases was the manner in which the public were initially kept in the dark – but that secrecy did Swiatek no favours either.
As she returned to the tour in December, she put a brave face on things but on court all was not well. Her normally stoic demeanour was shattered, the most high-profile example of which was her angry thwacking of a ball which nearly hit a ballboy.
She was ‘deeply upset’ by the realisation that the events missed during her suspensions, plus her mountain of points to defend after sweeping the clay season last year, made it almost impossible for her to regain her world No 1 ranking.
‘Stuck in past frustrations isn’t the right path,’ she said in an Instagram post in March. ‘But shifting perspective takes significant time, effort, and team support.’
Talking of team support, where in all this is sports psychologist Daria Abramowicz? The 37-year-old has been a member of the team since Swiatek was 17. She travels full time with Swiatek and sits in her box – extremely unusual for a psychologist.
Their relationship is far more like that of friends than psychologist and client, and given that fact, is she really the best person to help Swiatek now?
Leading Polish sports psychologist Dariusz Nowicki recently said of Swiatek and Abramowicz: ‘Certain boundaries of professional distance between the psychologist and the client are crossed.
‘A certain psychological distance in relation to the client, who is the athlete, and to the training team is essential.’
Daria Abramowicz has been a member of the team since Swiatek was 17. She travels full time with Swiatek and sits in her box – extremely unusual for a psychologist
Swiatek won the last three French Open singles titles – but defending her crown will be tricky
Sinner is still a step behind Carlos Alcaraz, as their Rome final showed, but he already looks close to his very best level despite spending the last three months out of the game
Abramowicz clearly knows Swiatek better than anyone and that in itself has value. But if Swiatek wants to get herself out of this funk she should seriously consider speaking to a truly independent sports psychologist, someone with the distance to properly asses where she goes from here.
Meanwhile, Sinner’s and Swiatek’s preparations for the French Open are in full swing. The Italian is still a step behind Carlos Alcaraz, as the Rome final showed, but he already looks close to his very best level.
Swiatek has won the last three French Opens. If ever there was a place for her mind and game to flicker back into focus it would be here, but the woman herself does not sound convinced.
‘It would be stupid to expect a lot (in Paris) since I’m not able to play my game,’ she said in Rome. ‘I’ll just try to regroup and go day by day.’
The rise of a new Roman Empire
At times the Italian Open felt a little like one of those triumphs folks such as Julius Caesar used to celebrate in Rome.
After a successful military campaign, the general would march through the city, surrounded by the spoils of war and chained, conquered enemies. Public entertainments – usually involving men killing one another in the Colosseum – would follow.
Things were less bombastic at the Foro Italico but the show of power was no less apparent as Italy celebrated their emergence as the dominant force in tennis.
Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup champions, the trophies were displayed to the public and brought by Jannik Sinner to the Vatican.
Sinner presents Italy’s Davis Cup and BJK Cup to new Pope Leo XIV, who is a keen tennis fan
Hometown hero Jasmine Paolini poses with her Italian Open singles trophy in Rome
She then teamed up with compatriot Sara Errani to win the doubles title too
The Italian tennis federation celebrated its hosting of this year’s ATP Finals (Turin), Davis Cup Finals (Bologna) and mixed-team Hopman Cup (Puglia).
Jasmine Paolini won the singles and doubles, with Sara Errani, and Sinner was stopped only by Carlos Alcaraz. Lorenzo Musetti’s run gave Italy two men in the world’s top 10.
The head of the ATP, Andrea Gaudenzi, is Italian and that does not hurt one bit.
It has been an incredible rise, founded on an investment in lower-tier events in Italy, allowing players to gain experience, ranking points and prizemoney without having to travel the world.
And, like Julius Caesar, once given a taste of power, federation president Angelo Binaghi wants more, setting his sights on the highly ambitious aim of turning the Italian Open into a fifth Grand Slam.
‘In what other part of society is there a monopoly that lasts for more than 100 years?’ Binaghi said on the final day of the event.
‘Why are there always four and always the same four? … It’s absolutely unfair and doesn’t help tennis grow.’
A new Roman empire is rising.
Brit No 1s make their plea to PM
British men’s No 1 Jack Draper was among the signatories to a letter urging the Government to invest in weather-proof public courts
Women’s No 1 Katie Boulter also signed the letter, which asks the Government to cover around 80 per cent of the cost of a £75-80million project to erect canopies over park courts
Sir Keir Starmer has been rather busy in a five-set negotiation with the EU of late, but when the Prime Minister sifts through his in-tray he will find a letter from Jack Draper and Katie Boulter.
Britain’s No 1s, along with wheelchair counterparts Lucy Shuker, Alfie Hewett and Gordon Reid, are signatories to an open letter which accompanies an LTA proposal for weather-proofing public courts around the country.
Mail Sport understands the LTA are asking the Government to cover around 80 per cent of the cost of a £75-80million project to erect canopies over park courts.
The proposal sent to MPs, seen by Mail Sport, makes the point that France has five times the number of covered courts despite far less annual rainfall.
The weather has always been a massive barrier to year-round tennis participation in the UK, so let’s hope Sir Keir can find £60m or so down the back of a sofa during the spending review.
One to Watch
Five years younger and much shorter than her very big brother, Daphnee Mpetshi Perricard cruised through the first round of qualifying at the French Open
Daphnee Mpetshi Perricard, 16, France
You may have heard of the 6ft 8in serving phenomenon Giovanni, but what about his sister?
Five years younger and much shorter than her very big brother, Daphnee cruised through the first round of qualifying at the French Open.
It would be great to see her join her brother in the main draw.
