Jannik Sinner on Monday denied claims that he had been treated with favouritism or a double standard after he escaped a ban after testing positive for a banned steroid twice in March saying "I was treated like all the others" after being spared a ban due to the accidental nature of the massage contamination with Clostebol, for which he has sacked both his trainer and masseur.
"I was treated like everyone else. I hope that no other athlete will be in my condition and that people will understand that I was able to continue playing because we immediately realised how the Clostebol had entered my body," said the world number one as he prepared for his opening match at the US Open Monday, rejecting criticism such as former Wimbledon finalist Nick Kyrgios's assertion that the 23-year.old South Tyrolean Australian Open champ should have been banned for two years.
"Obviously, I was in a position where I had very good legal support,' Sinner said in an interview with ESPN.
"If the situation is different, things can be different.
"But I've been through difficult times, I had sleepless nights at Wimbledon because of thoughts".
No 1 seed Sinner begins his campaign at Flushing Meadows against world no 119 Michael McDonald of the US later on Monday.
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