Tennis stars condemn Jannik Sinner's deal with WADA to accept three-month ban

TOI Sports Desk / TIMESOFINDIA.COM / Feb 16, 2025, 10:03 IST

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Professional tennis player Jannik Sinner faced backlash from fellow players after accepting a three-month doping suspension while retaining his ranking and titles. The agreement with WADA has raised concerns about fairness and transparency in tennis, as expressed by prominent figures like Stan Wawrinka, Nick Kyrgios, and Daniil Medvedev.

Tennis stars condemn Jannik Sinner's deal with WADA to accept three-month ban

Jannik Sinner (File Photo)

Leading tennis player Jannik Sinner accepted a three-month doping ban in an agreement with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) on Friday, which has followed a backlash from his fellow professional players.
The agreement allows Sinner to resume playing from May 5, retain his No. 1 ranking, keep his Grand Slam opportunities intact and preserve his titles and prize money earned following his positive test for a prohibited anabolic steroid in March last year.
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HERE'S WHO SAID WHAT:

"Fairness in tennis does not exist," Nick Kyrgios wrote on X, while three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka also voiced his reaction on the same social media platform. "I don't believe in a clean sport anymore ...," Wawrinka posted.
"I hope everyone can discuss with WADA and defend themselves like Jannik Sinner from now on," Daniil Medvedev said while reacting to the development.
"When I read the statement this morning, it just seems a little bit too convenient," Former British No. 1 Tim Henman said while talking to Sky Sport.
"Obviously having just won the Australian Open, to miss three months of the tour and therefore to be eligible to play at Roland Garros, the timing couldn't have been any better for Sinner; but I still think it leaves a pretty sour taste for the sport."
The Professional Tennis Players Association, established by Novak Djokovic and Vasek Pospisil, expressed their views on X, issuing a statement condemning the ATP, WTA, Grand Slams, WADA and International Tennis Integrity Agency.
"The system' is not a system. It's a club. Supposed case-by-case discretion is, in fact, merely cover for tailored deals, unfair treatment, and inconsistent rulings. It's not just the different results for different players. It's the lack of transparency. The lack of process. The lack of consistency. The lack of credibility in the alphabet soup of agencies charged with regulating our sports and athletes," the PTPA wrote.

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TOI Sports Desk

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