Jannik Sinner's Wimbledon win marred by doping controversy

Jannik Sinner captured his first Wimbledon title on Sunday, but a dark cloud hangs over the most significant win of his young career.

The English media widely questioned Sinner's legitimacy, citing the circumstances surrounding his three-month suspension for a banned steroid earlier this year.

Veteran sportswriter Oliver Holt called Sinner's Wimbledon win a "bleak day for the tournament and for tennis," while stressing that the Italian should not have been allowed to participate at The Championships.

Elsewhere, The Telegraph's Oliver Brown said it was "hard to stomach" watching Sinner and Iga Swiatek, the two Wimbledon singles champions, having fun at the champions' ball after their wins.

"The champions’ ball on Sunday night toasted the glories of Sinner, whom the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) had wanted out of the sport for a year until striking a deal with his legal team, and Iga Swiatek, who tested positive last year for trimetazidine, a banned heart medication. To call it awkward barely began to cover it."

To elucidate on Brown's point, Sinner, who tested positive for a banned steroid last year, agreed to a deal with WADA that ensured he could return in time for the Italian Open, and thereby not miss any majors. The ruling was made after WADA said in a statement that Sinner "did not intend to cheat" and that his exposure to the banned steroid occurred "without his knowledge as the result of the negligence of members of his entourage."

Many took issue with WADA's change of tone after the anti-doping body initially called for Sinner to be banned for "between one and two years." Among them was Nick Kyrgios, who has repeatedly maintained that Sinner was lucky to escape a multi-year ban.

After Wimbledon, the Aussie posted an asterisk on his X account and re-tweeted a post that said, "Congratulations to Clostebol & Trimetazidine" — the banned substances Sinner and Swiatek tested positive for.