"From Sinner to Victor": The English Tabloids' "Gratuitous" Violence Against Sinner

On the day of his triumph, controversy erupted. Jannik Sinner 's victory at Wimbledon , the first ever for an Italian, sparked excitement around the world. But not all the British press greeted the South Tyrolean's success with sportsmanship. Some tabloids, such as The Sun and The Daily Telegraph , revived the clostebol doping scandal —closed for months—launching venomous jabs at the world number one.
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The Sun , among the most scathing, headlined: " From Sinner to winner," playing on the champion's surname (which in English means " sinner" ) and recalling how the triumph came " only two months after his doping ban ." The tabloid called Sinner's final victory against Carlos Alcaraz "gripping," but insinuated that it was " too early " to see him on top of world tennis after that incident.
The Telegraph was even more harsh, writing: "Sinner's victory at Wimbledon is a victory of strong nerves, endurance and highly skilled lawyers ." The British newspaper emphasized that the Italian tennis player's was a " brilliant performance with an asterisk ," clearly referring to the doping case and the three-month ban he served between February and May. This direct attack was also echoed in the social media posts of Nick Kyrgios , a fellow tennis player who has always been among Sinner's most critical.
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— Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) July 13, 2025
The reference is clear: according to the Telegraph , the reduced severity of the suspension is the result of excellent but opaque legal work , as if to insinuate that there is still something to be clarified. These words reopen a case that was already closed: Sinner had been suspended for clostebol contamination, but the matter was quickly concluded with a brief sanction, without malice or intent .
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Fortunately, not all British media outlets were drawn into this controversy. The Times celebrated Sinner with the headline: "Ruthless Jannik Sinner beats Carlos Alcaraz to win Wimbledon title," emphasizing how the Italian champion had managed to shake off the ghosts of Roland Garros.
Even the Guardian recognized the greatness of the performance: "Jannik Sinner roars back and beats Alcaraz for the first time in a Wimbledon final." The Daily Mail and the Mirror , finally, spoke of a "ruthless, powerful and almost surgical performance."
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