World No. 1 Jannik Sinner said he’s been doing his best to stay focused and keep the ongoing doping controversy from affecting his game after defeating Novak Djokovic 7-6 (4), 6-3 to win the Shanghai Masters on Sunday.
In August, the International Tennis Integrity Agency revealed that Sinner had failed two drug tests in March, but an independent tribunal cleared him of any wrongdoing.
The tribunal accepted Sinner’s explanation that the anabolic agent clostebol was accidentally introduced into his system by a member of his support team through massages and sports therapy.
However, in September, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) announced it would appeal the tribunal's decision, seeking up to a two-year suspension for the Italian star.
WADA's announcement came days before Sinner was beaten by rival Carlos Alcaraz in the China Open final. The U.S. and Australian Open champion admitted he was in an uncomfortable situation ahead of his Shanghai Masters campaign.
"This year has been very, very tough for me because of other circumstances, and at points, I lost a bit of my smile because I had some issues off the court, and they're still on my mind sometimes," Sinner told reporters after his win in the final.
"People think that by winning or having success, you don't have any problems, but it's not true. I'm in the situation where I am, and obviously, it's not comfortable. I wish I would not be in this position off the court.
"But you have to accept it. I feel like I'm strong when I go on the court, trying not to think about it and trying to stay focused on everything I do, giving 100% in every single match or practice."
Sinner's win over 24-time Grand Slam champion Djokovic has taken his trophy count for the year up to seven, including two Grand Slams, three ATP Masters 1000 titles, and victories in Rotterdam and Halle.
This season has been the 23-year-old's most successful on tour, and when asked what had changed in the past year, Sinner said: "I feel that physically I'm ready to play for a longer amount of time at the highest level possible.
"Also, mentally, I'm ready to accept every tough situation on the court, and I think that's the biggest step I made forward ... (I'm) trying to be mature enough to understand what's working, and I feel like that, for me, made a big impact this year.
"Hopefully, it's going to help me also for next year."