Daniil Medvedev calls out Jannik Sinner’s settlement with WADA ‘weird’ as he hopes it becomes a ‘precedent for all’
World No. 1 Jannik Sinner is currently serving a three-month suspension by WADA due to his doping case.
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Daniil Medvedev and Jannik Sinner (via X)
World No. 8 Daniil Medvedev spoke about the recent three-month ban imposed on Jannik Sinner by WADA for doping. The Russian tennis player did so at a press conference after losing in straight sets in the semi-finals of the ATP in Marseille against the Serbian Hamad Medjedovic.
Weeks after winning his second consecutive Australian Open title, Sinner accepted a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) suspension from 9 February to 4 May. WADA had last year launched an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) challenging the decision of the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) to not suspend Sinner, who had been tested positive twice for the banned substance clostebol in March 2024.
I hope that from now on, if WADA if they tell you: ‘we found this, it’s two years’, you answer: ‘no, I want a month’. I hope it’s a precedent. Otherwise it would be weird.
Daniil Medvedev told the reporters
The ITIA said in August that the panel found that Jannik Sinner bore “no fault or negligence” for testing positive for low levels of clostebol. The body accepted the Italian’s explanation that he had been inadvertently contaminated by the drug due to his physiotherapist’s use of a spray. But in September, WADA sought an appeal to ban Sinner for a period between one and two years, with the hearing scheduled for 16-17 April.
🇷🇺 Daniil Medvedev on the Sinner settlement:
— Olly Tennis 🎾🇬🇧 (@Olly_Tennis_) February 15, 2025
“I hope that from now on, if WADA if they tell you: 'we found this, it's two years', you answer: 'no, I want a month'.
I hope it's a precedent. Otherwise it would be weird.”
🗣️ https://t.co/jVPqRWjWtH
📸 Asanka Brendon Ratnayake pic.twitter.com/mCsxoUzbUD
However, this Saturday, WADA accepted that Sinner “did not intend to cheat” and that the substance entered his body due to the negligence of members of his entourage. Bearing responsibility for his entourage’s negligence, a three-month ban was considered befitting by the body for this case.
Jannik Sinner will miss mostly clay tournaments during his suspension
After concluding the 2024 season as World No. 1, the first time for an Italian, Jannik Sinner had a great start to his 2025 season as well. He clinched his third Grand Slam at the 2025 Australian Open. He was initially set to defend his title at the Rotterdam Open as well, however, he withdrew from the tournament, citing the need for rest.
Sinner was in Doha during the announcement of his suspension, as he was gearing up for the Qatar Open. The next tournament Sinner can play in is the Italian Open, an ATP Masters 1000 event, which begins on 7 May. He will also be eligible to play in the next Grand Slam of the year, the Roland Garros.
During his suspension, Sinner will miss the hard-court tournaments in Indian Wells and Miami in the US, along with many of the clay tournaments that build up to the Roland Garros. Many have questioned the timing of this suspension, considering it very convenient for Sinner, who will not miss any Grand Slam. He will mostly miss clay court tournaments, a surface that is not really his forte as compared to his dominance on hard courts.
Along with Daniil Medvedev, several other tennis players have expressed their dissapointment over the handling of Sinner’s case. Stan Wawrinka took to X, stating how he no longer believes that tennis is a clean sport, while Nick Kyrgios called this moment a “sad day for tennis”.
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Lakshya Chopra
(2645 Articles Published)