Jannik Sinner says his and Iga Swiatek's singles title wins at Wimbledon were made very special following the doping cases involving them over the past year.
For the first time in Wimbledon history, both the men's and women's champions have served suspensions for banned substances, ensuring that their celebrations have been accompanied by controversy.
With the authorities accepting both players' insistence that the cases were caused by contamination of medication, many are clearly willing to look past the short bans.
But others are concerned about the impact it could have on the image of tennis.
Indeed, minutes after Sinner's victory on Sunday, the 2022 finalist posted a cryptic asterisk on social media, widely seen as a reflection of the mixed feelings some have about the men's world number one winning just over two months after completing a doping ban.
Sinner says he and Iga, they actually talked about this, and they have been celebrating in a way even more, because it was a very difficult time for her and also for me, and only me and my team and the people who are close to me know exactly how it went.
Speaking after her victory, Swiatek also hinted at the scrutiny she had been under.
[Source: BBC Sports]
