20-time Grand Slam champion Roger Federer made his return to New York today (September 3rd). This is one of the most important cities for the tennis legend, as it’s where he won five consecutive US Open titles.
Appearing on The Today Show with Clive Brunskill, Federer met NBA icon Stephen Curry. These two athletes have been giants in their respective sports.
Federer retired from tennis in 2022 but has kept an eye on the developments of the ATP tour. He also released a documentary titled Federer: Last Twelve Days, showcasing the final days of his professional tennis career.
Meanwhile, Curry has become one of the greatest basketball players in U.S. history. The American was instrumental in securing the Olympic Gold medal for his country in Paris recently.
Roger Federer shares take on Jannik Sinner’s doping controversy
Roger Federer has expressed concerns about Jannik Sinner‘s doping case, questioning whether the current No. 1 tennis player should have continued competing while under investigation. Sinner tested positive twice in March for an anabolic steroid, raising doubts about the fairness of the situation.
Jannik Sinner and Roger Federer (Images via Imago)It’s not something we want to see in our sport, these types of news, regardless if he did something or not. Or any player did. It’s just noise that we don’t want. I understand the frustration of: has he been treated the same as others? And I think this is where it comes down to. We all trust pretty much at the end, he didn’t do anything. But the inconsistency, potentially, that he didn’t have to sit out while they were not 100 percent sure what was going on — I think that’s the question here that needs to be answered.
Roger Federer said in an interview with Today Show
Top tennis players have also been asked about Sinner, who is set to play against 2021 US Open winner Daniil Medvedev in the quarterfinals. Speaking on a Spanish TV show, Rafael Nadal said he doesn’t believe Sinner was treated differently. The International Tennis Integrity Agency explained on August 20 that the banned substance entered Sinner’s body accidentally through a massage by his physiotherapist, which is why he wasn’t suspended.
Novak Djokovic, when asked before the US Open, acknowledged that some players might feel there is a double standard in the sport. He understands why there might be concerns about fairness in such cases. Federer, who retired in 2022 after his last match at Wimbledon in 2021, planned to watch the matches at Arthur Ashe Stadium. This marks his first visit to the venue since his last US Open match against Grigor Dimitrov in 2019.
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