‘Bold’ Denis Shapovalov clarifies controversial tweet over Jannik Sinner’s doping scandal

World No.1 Jannik Sinner's US Open campaign is under a cloud after the doping controversy.

‘Bold’ Denis Shapovalov clarifies controversial tweet over Jannik Sinner’s doping scandal

Denis Shapovalov and Jannik Sinner (via The Times of Israel/Imago)

Canadian tennis superstar Denis Shapovalov has clarified his tweet regarding the ongoing doping controversy surrounding World No.1 Jannik Sinner. The Italian player avoided suspension despite testing positive for a banned substance twice.

This development led to many strong reactions from current ATP tour players, including Shapovalov. On Tuesday (August 20), he tweeted about the hypocrisy of the tennis authorities.

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Shapovalov was upset by the inconsistency of the ruling, given that players have been banned for similar situations in the past. Recent examples include Simona Halep and Maria Sharapova.

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The Canadian clarified that he didn’t mean to take any shots at Sinner but was frustrated with how things seemed to be handled differently for certain players by tennis authorities.

Honestly, it had nothing to do with Jannik. To me, it’s just about how they handle every situation differently, depending on what player it is. It’s not right that some players have been suspended for years for contamination, and other players have been able to play and they’re just trying to sweep it under the rug.
Denis Shapovalov said in an interview with Tennis Majors

Halep, a Romanian tennis player, was banned in 2022 after testing positive for a banned substance. In 2016, Sharapova tested positive for Meldonium, which the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) added to the list of banned substances that same year. As a result, the five-time Grand Slam champion was suspended from playing tennis for two years, though her ban was later reduced to 15 months.

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Jannik Sinner’s doping controversy: What do we know?

World No.1 Jannik Sinner was recently cleared of any wrongdoing after testing positive twice for a banned substance in March. The Italian player tested positive for small amounts of a clostebol metabolite, a steroid used to build muscle, during the Indian Wells tournament.

Jannik SInner
Jannik SInner (Image via Imago)

A second test taken eight days later also showed low levels of the same substance. This led to an automatic provisional suspension, but Sinner challenged it and continued to play.

The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) investigated and found that Sinner was accidentally exposed to the substance by his physiotherapist, Giacomo Naldi. The physio had used an over-the-counter spray on a cut before treating the 23-year-old.

The ITIA accepted that the violation was unintentional. An independent tribunal cleared Sinner of fault and negligence. However, he will lose the ranking points and prize money from his semi-final performance at Indian Wells.

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