Speaking publicly for the first time since the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) cleared him of any wrongdoing this week, the 23-year-old Italian accepted his explanation that the drug entered his system when his physiotherapist used a spray containing it to treat a cut, followed by massage and physiotherapy.

Sinner tested positive for low levels of the banned anabolic steroid clostebol in March, once during the Indian Wells Masters and again in an out-of-competition test eight days later.

Sinner was stripped of his Indian Wells results, prize money and 400 ranking points, but the ITIA confirmed this week that an independent tribunal had found him "without fault or negligence" for the violations, meaning there will be no sanction preventing him from playing professional tennis.

Sinner described the months-long process as a nerve-wracking experience and rejected suggestions that he had been given special treatment because of his high ranking. "No, every player who tests positive has to go through the same process. There are no shortcuts, no different treatment, everyone goes through the same process," Sinner told a news conference at the US Open, which begins on Monday at Flushing Meadows in New York.

He said he was able to continue playing without a lengthy suspension because his team immediately realised that physiotherapist Giacomo Naldi had used a spray containing the drug to treat a cut on his finger. The spray had been supplied by Sinner's coach, Umberto Ferrara.

Both Naldi and Ferrara "paid the price for the doping case". And although they claim that "there was no malice, no fraud, no wrongdoing", Sinner decided to end his relationship with them. 

They were not just assistants, especially Ferrara, who was "responsible for preparation and many other aspects", to the extent that the ruling describes him as a "qualified pharmacist" who was "specifically chosen by the player to advise him and the team on anti-doping matters". Naldi, for his part, had left an important role in local basketball to accompany him, but will suffer the same fate and will no longer be at the Italian's side.

Despite the end of their collaboration, Sinner did not hide his admiration for their contributions. "First of all I would like to say that they were an important part of my career. We worked together for two years. We did an incredible job, had a lot of success and built a great team around me. Now, because of these mistakes, I don't feel confident enough to continue with them," he said.

Sinner said on the case, "Knowing that it was the spray and also knowing how it got into my system, we went straight back to them and explained everything about how it happened and that was the reason why I had the chance to continue playing.

The Italian noted that he was suspended for several days, during which he was unable to train, and that he was worried "because it was the first time for me, you know, and hopefully the last time I'll be in that situation.