Jannik Sinner reaches three-month suspension agreement after positive doping test, and many of his colleagues are not happy with the news: “I no longer believe in a clean sport”
That phrase came from Stan Wawrinka’s Twitter account. Feliciano López responded: “I do, Stan. It’s very clear that (Sinner) has done nothing to improve his performance, that’s proven. He is taking full responsibility for someone else’s mistake and, as a result, received a 3-month suspension. Would a longer suspension have made the sport cleaner? I don’t think so,” replied the former tennis player and current director of the Madrid Open.
López is certainly disappointed that Sinner won’t be able to play in the Spanish Masters 1000. However, Sinner will be able to return to competition against his Italian fans at home: the suspension he accepted started on February 9th and will end on May 4th, three days before the start of the Rome Masters 1000. He will also have the chance to chase his first title at Roland Garros.
Sinner was deemed “not guilty or negligent” by an independent tribunal from the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) after testing positive for clostebol in two consecutive tests.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) later appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) with a request for a suspension of between one and two years for the current world number one.
Meanwhile, the PTPA (Professional Tennis Players Association) issued a statement calling the resolution of the case “unacceptable”: “This bias is unacceptable for all athletes and shows a deep disrespect for every sport and its fans. It’s time for change. And we will change it.”
PTPA statement regarding the Jannik Sinner case. pic.twitter.com/WVSbtljUxt
— Professional Tennis Players Association (@ptpaplayers) February 15, 2025
Nick Kyrgios, who has been critical of the Italian since the case went public, also expressed his discontent with the resolution.
“Then WADA comes out and says it should be a 1-2 year suspension. Obviously, Sinner’s team has done everything possible to just accept a 3-month suspension, without losing titles or prize money. Guilty or not? A sad day for tennis. Justice in tennis does not exist,” said the Australian.
A former world number one and two-time Grand Slam champion suggested boycotting Sinner.
“After the latest events, this is what I would do (assuming I were still playing): every time I had to face Sinner in a tournament, I would refuse to step onto the court, whether in the first round or the final. But I fear no one else will do the same,” said Yevgeny Kafelnikov, Olympic champion in Sydney 2000.
“I’ve always accepted that I am responsible for my team and I realize that WADA’s strict rules are an important protection for the sport I love. Based on this, I’ve accepted the offer to resolve this issue with a 3-month suspension,” explained the Italian in a statement provided by his press team.
Sinner will not be able to defend his title in Miami, the semifinals in Indian Wells and Monte Carlo, or the quarterfinals in Madrid. He could even retain the number one ranking.
