Rafael Nadal has become the latest name in tennis to share his thoughts on the Jannik Sinner doping scandal, after he failed a drugs test — but avoided punishment.
Sinner twice tested positive for clostebol, a steroid that can be used to build muscle mass.
But he was controversially cleared by a tribunal after they learned his physio applied spray to a cut on his hand before giving the player a bare-handed massage. This was said to have caused ‘contamination’.
The Italian was automatically provisionally suspended, but his successful appeal allowed him to keep playing and move to the top of the ATP world rankings.
Sinner, now favourite for the US Open title after the shock exits of Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz, has since been cleared of fault or negligence.
However many players – past and present – have criticised the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) for giving Sinner special treatment. Some claim they are letting him off the hook, and the story isn’t going away ahead of his quarter-final against Daniil Medvedev.
Outspoken Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios told Sinner that he ‘should be gone for two years’, while Canada’s Denis Shapovalov added: ‘Can’t imagine what every other player that got banned for contaminated substances is feeling right now.’
Metro.co.uk takes you through every dig and defence of the Sinner doping scandal.
Rafael Nadal
Spanish tennis legend Nadal, a 22-time Grand Slam champion who missed this year’s US Open due to fitness issues, has defended Sinner in a fresh interview.
‘I have a virtue or a deficit, which is that in the end I usually believe in people’s good faith,’ Nadal, 38, told Spanish TV show El Hormiguero. ‘I know Sinner, I don’t believe that Sinner has ever wanted to dope.
‘I don’t think we have to like it only when it is resolved in the way we think. In the end, justice is justice and I believe in justice.
‘I believe in the bodies that have to make decisions and that really make them based on what they believe is right.’
How have tennis fans reacted to Rafael Nadal’s comments about Jannik Sinner?
Most tennis fans have approved Rafael Nadal’s stance on the Jannik Sinner scandal.
‘Makes sense,’ @RandomUserRU123 posted on Reddit. ‘The people who criticised Jannik are washed up pro players who would not even make it to the third round of a major, even if they were juiced to the gills.’
‘This is a good stance to take,’ @34TH_ST_BROADWAY added while a third user, @Meibisi said: ‘Very reasonable and my thoughts exactly.’
Novak Djokovic
Djokovic, meanwhile, has called for ‘clear protocols’ and ‘standardised approaches’ amid the Sinner scandal.
‘I understand the frustration of the players is there because of a lack of consistency,’ 24-time major winner Djokovic said.
‘As I understood, his case was cleared the moment basically it was announced. But I think five or six months [had] passed since the news [of the positive tests] was brought to him and his team.
‘So, yeah, there is a lot of issues in the system. We see a lack of standardised and clear protocols.
‘I can understand the sentiments of a lot of players that are questioning whether they are treated the same.
‘Hopefully the governing bodies of our sport will be able to learn from this case and have a better approach for the future. I think collectively there has to be a change.’
Nick Kyrgios
‘Ridiculous – whether it was accidental or planned,’ the Australian star posted on X.
‘You get tested twice with a banned (steroid) substance… you should be gone for 2 years. Your performance was enhanced. Massage cream…. Yeah nice.’
Kyrgios, a Wimbledon runner-up in 2022, then added: ‘I stand by every word. Everything I put on social media I have to stand up for.
‘I’ve seen many of my friends go through doping things and being suspended. We’ve seen players like [Simona] Halep and everyone and it seems like every time one of these things comes up, there’s always a different process for different players.
‘It’s nothing against Sinner personally at all. I know how important he is. He’s one of the greatest tennis players we have right now… and how important he’s gonna be for the next 15 years. I’m not denying any of that. Nothing against him personally.
‘If you look at Jenson Brooksby.. players who’ve had their careers taken away for up to a year.. and someone like Sinner just kind of doing it his own kind of way. I think he had it on his own terms for most of the time. I don’t think that’s fair and equal for the rest of the tour.’