UPDATE–The World Anti-Doping Agency announced on Sept. 28 that they are asking the Court of Arbitration for Sport to suspend men’s world number one Jannik Sinner for 1 to 2 years. WADA said that it was incorrect for the International Tennis Integrity Agency to find that Sinner bears “no fault or negligence” after failing at least two doping tests in March for the banned substance Clostebol.
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The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) tweeted that “integrity is paramount in our sport.”
But many tennis fans are questioning why the ATP have taken away Jannik Sinner’s 400 rankings points and $320,000 prize money from his semi-final run at Indian Wells in March five months after the tournament, while stating today that “no fault or negligence has been found on Jannick Sinner’s part.” Several commenters on X (formerly known as Twitter) say they don’t believe the story that Sinner’s physio somehow massaged tiny elements of the banned performance enhancing drug Clostebol into Sinner’s body without their knowledge.
Players such as Nick Kyrgios, Denis Shapovalov, Liam Brody and Tennys Sandgren are raising concerns about double standards and preferential treatment of Sinner (ATP number one for much of 2024) while Jenson Brooksby, Mikael Ymer and other ATP players face immediate and more severe suspensions for failed tests or apparently not taking tests. WTA stars Maria Sharapova, Simona Halep, Tara Moore and others lost significant portions of their career and earnings.
“Different rules for different players,” Shapovalov posted on X. “Can’t imagine what every other player that got banned for contaminated substances is feeling right now.”
“Ridiculous,” Kyrgios posted on X. “Whether it was accidental or planned. You get tested twice with a banned (steroid) substance… you should be gone for 2 years. Your performance was enhanced. Massage cream…. Yeah nice
“Whether Sinner was doping or not. This is not right,” Broady posted on X. “Plenty of players go through the same thing and have to wait months or YEARS for their innocence to be declared. Not a good look.”
Tennis fans see this lack of transparency, consistency and equality, and they naturally become suspicious about who is cheating and who is not. This isn’t a minor thing. Doping scandals tainted baseball (America’s past-time) for years. Major League Baseball in 2022 suspended San Diego Padres star Fernando Tatis for Clostebol use.
The ATP’s leadership, including two Italians, should immediately hold a press conference to answer questions about this latest doping scandal.
If Sinner and his team did nothing wrong, why penalize him?
If Sinner failed two doping test several days apart in March, why was this covered up for five months and then announced the day after Sinner won Cincinnati?
Did Sinner stay out of the Olympics due to concerns about doping tests instead of his claim about having tonsilitis?
Did Sinner win tournaments in Canada, Beijing, Melbourne and Miami fairly?
In retrospect, the ATP could have announced in March that “Sinner is appealing failed doping tests.” Pending appeal, Sinner could have withdrawn from Miami (which he won) or Madrid (where he cited a hip injury for his withdrawal).
This would have given other players, such as Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz, more opportunities to gain ranking points and overtake Sinner as ATP number one.
Instead, the ATP and its partners (including NIKE, which sponsors Sinner) promoted Sinner as a “nice guy” and “the new face of tennis.” But it’s becoming difficult for tennis fans to believe that Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Andrey Rublev, Felix Auger-Aliassime and others are “nice” guys when they see tantrums, racquet breaking, tirades against umpires, mysterious injuries and allegations of doping.
words and images copyright Christopher Johnson Globalite Media all rights reserved
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