In the upcoming Shanghai Masters tournament, World No. 1 Jannik Sinner is set to begin his campaign on Saturday against Taro Daniel. Prior to his first match, Sinner has opened up about his ongoing doping case, which has been contested by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), as well as his relationship with rising star Carlos Alcaraz. Sinner described his dynamic with Alcaraz as being like “fire and ice”.

Expressing his thoughts on the doping case, Sinner stated, “I’m still surprised, But it’s not in a situation where I feel comfortable in, that’s for sure, because I thought it was over. And now once again. So it’s not easy.” Despite the distractions off-court, Sinner managed to focus and reach the final of the China Open earlier this week.

When asked about his rivalry with Carlos Alcaraz, Sinner compared their styles by saying, “He is the one who brings the firepower and the hot shots, he involves the crowd. He is a bit different. I am more like the solid player, quite calm. So it’s like fire and ice a bit. But it’s a nice combination.”

Sinner is scheduled to kick off his Shanghai Masters journey against Taro Daniel, who is currently ranked 93rd in the world rankings. It will be interesting to see how Sinner performs amidst the ongoing dispute with WADA and his camaraderie with Alcaraz.