Andre Agassi defends Jannik Sinner amid US Open controversy after doping case: 'I don't think he cheats'

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Top-seeded Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner is competing in the U.S. Open amid a wave of controversy after it was revealed that the 2024 Australian Open winner would not be suspended after testing positive twice for an anabolic steroid in March. 

Last week, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) announced its decision that Sinner was not at fault for two anti-doping violations in March when he tested positive for the prohibited substance clostebol twice within an eight-day period. 

Jannik Sinner returns a shot during the first round of the U.S. Open on Aug. 27, 2024, in New York. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

A provisional suspension was applied both times, but Sinner successfully appealed each suspension and was able to continue competing. 

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The news broke after Sinner won the Cincinnati Open and on the heels of the U.S. Open, leaving many in the tennis community to speculate as to why the issue was seemingly kept under wraps and if a double standard was applied in this case because of his success.

But eight-time Grand Slam champion Andre Agassi defended Sinner in a recent interview with Fox News Digital.

"Was that material? I don't believe it was material, nor do I believe he would ever take a risk to put that little of – it's not possible," he said. "Nobody is going to purposely take that risk. So, I do believe it."

The investigation reportedly found that less than a billionth of a gram was in Sinner’s system. He said he was contaminated with the substance when his fitness trainer purchased an over-the-counter spray in Italy that contained clostebol and gave it to