Jannik Sinner says the possibility of a doping ban ruling him out of upcoming Grand Slam tournaments did not provide extra motivation to win the Australian Open.
The 23-year-old Italian says he could not have won back-to-back Melbourne titles if he did not have a “clear mind” that he had done nothing wrong.
Sinner was cleared of any wrongdoing by an independent panel after testing positive for banned substance clostebol in April.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) appealed against the decision and is seeking a ban of between one and two years.
The world number one will have his case heard by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) from 16-17 April, just over a month before the French Open begins.
Sinner beat German second seed Alexander Zverev in straight sets on Sunday but said the uncertainty around his future did “not really” drive him to win again at Melbourne Park.
“I keep playing like this because I have a clear mind on what happened,” Sinner said.
“If I know if I would be guilty, I would not play like this, and that’s it.
“I just came off an amazing run again here. I want to enjoy this moment.”
