Sinner received a warm welcome, external from the crowd during his first training session at Flushing Meadows on Thursday.

Speaking for the first time since the news broke on Monday, Sinner said it was a “relief” that the investigation was over.

When asked if he was worried about his reputation, Sinner said: “I think I kept playing tennis because I knew in my head that I had done nothing wrong.”

“Anyone who knows me well knows that I have never done anything and would never do anything that violates the rules.

“Here I also know who is my friend and who is not, because my friends know that I would never do something like that.

“As far as reputation goes, we’ll see how it goes, right? Because I have no influence over that.”

When his test came back positive, he was automatically suspended provisionally, but was allowed to continue playing after a successful appeal.

Sinner won tournaments in Halle and Cincinnati and became number one in the world for the first time.

“Of course it’s not ideal before a Grand Slam, but in my head I know I didn’t do anything wrong,” he said.

“I’ve had to play with it in my head for months.

“I’m just glad it’s finally out because it’s also kind of a relief for me and my team who are still here.”

Some players criticized the decision not to ban Sinner despite the positive tests.

Sinner said he went through the same process as any other player, adding: “There is no shortcut, no different treatment.”

“Of course, I sometimes know how frustrated other players are. But maybe because of their suspension, they don’t know exactly where it comes from.”

“We knew immediately and were aware of what had happened.”