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Boris Becker Reveals Jannik Sinner’s Biggest Opponent After Heroic Wimbledon Title Win

Originally posted on FirstSportz | By Fahad Hamid | Last updated Jul 14, 2025 5:49 PM ET

Boris Becker has revealed Jannik Sinner‘s biggest opponent after the Italian’s heroic Wimbledon title win. Surprisingly, it is not Carlos Alcaraz or Novak Djokovic, it is himself.

According to the reports from OA Sport, Becker, who previously coached Djokovic, claims that Sinner needs to avoid controversies like the doping scandal. The Italian tested positive for clostebol twice last year.

Sinner’s greatest opponent is himself, his reflection in the mirror. In a way, his great strength is mental. He came back from his suspension by reaching the final in Rome and Paris, and now at Wimbledon. Very few could have come back like that after three months (of suspension, editor’s note). He also went to Halle and, match after match, he continued to build. He has always been very focused, his personality is unique on the tour. Who can beat him? Carlos on a good day, then there are other players like Medvedev and Fritz who can win in a straight match, but on consistency, he is unbeatable right now.

Sinner returned from suspension in May, right before the Italian Open. He made it to the finals, where he lost to Alcaraz in straight sets. This was his first loss in 27 matches.

Sinner has won two career titles in 2025. However, the good news is that both have been Grand Slam titles, with the first one coming at the Australian Open before his doping ban.

Jannik Sinner extends lead at the ATP Rankings

Italian tennis star Jannik Sinner defeated Carlos Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final to claim his fourth Grand Slam title. He ended Alcaraz’s two-year winning streak at the tournament with a 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 victory. The win also marked a turnaround for Sinner, who had lost his previous five matches against Alcaraz, including a painful defeat at the French Open where he missed multiple chances to seal the match.

The Wimbledon title earned Sinner 2,000 ATP points, significantly boosting his total from 10,430 to 12,030. Though he was already guaranteed to remain world No. 1, this win widened the gap between him and world No. 2 Alcaraz. Alcaraz, after failing to defend his title, dropped to 8,600 points, now trailing Sinner by 3,430.

Alexander Zverev stays in third despite a first-round loss, with 6,310 points. Taylor Fritz returned to his career-best ranking of world No. 4 following his run to the semi-finals, adding 400 points to reach 5,035. Jack Draper stays at No. 5 with 4,650 points after another early exit. Novak Djokovic, despite losing 500 points, remains sixth after making the semi-finals.

In the rest of the top 10, Musetti and Rune retain their positions at No. 7 and No. 8, despite first-round defeats. Ben Shelton climbs to No. 9 after reaching his first Wimbledon quarter-final, and Andrey Rublev re-enters the top 10, jumping four spots. Daniil Medvedev dropped five places to No. 14 following a first-round exit, his lowest ranking in over six years. Tommy Paul also slipped three spots to No. 16 after an early exit.

The resurgence of Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek from doping scandals

World No.1 Jannik Sinner stated that his Wimbledon win and Iga Swiatek’s felt especially meaningful given the challenges they faced over the past year. Both players had previously served doping-related suspensions, making their 2025 titles historic and controversial. It was the first time in Wimbledon’s history that both singles champions had returned from bans for banned substances.

Swiatek tested positive for trimetazidine (TMZ) in August 2024. The drug, often used for heart conditions, can enhance endurance and is banned in sports. Her suspension lasted one month, ending in December. Authorities concluded the substance came from a contaminated over-the-counter medicine made in Poland, which she used to manage jet lag and sleep. Her level of fault was judged to be minimal by the International Tennis Integrity Agency.

Sinner’s case involved two positive tests for the anabolic steroid clostebol in March 2024. He said the source was an over-the-counter spray applied by his physiotherapist to treat a hand injury. A tribunal found no fault or negligence on Sinner’s part, but the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) appealed the ruling. They aimed for a one- to two-year ban, believing the outcome too lenient.

Eventually, a settlement was reached before the Court of Arbitration for Sport hearing. Sinner served a three-month suspension beginning in February 2025. He returned in time for the French Open, missing no Grand Slams. The short ban sparked debate, with critics questioning the fairness of the decision. Concerns were also raised about his former support staff, who were blamed for the incident but have faced no public disciplinary action.

This article first appeared on FirstSportz and was syndicated with permission.

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