“Sad day in tennis,” Nick Kyrgios slams WADA for not giving Jannik Sinner harsher penalty after settlement

Jannik Sinner accepts a three-month suspension following a settlement with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) for his doping case.

“Sad day in tennis,” Nick Kyrgios slams WADA for not giving Jannik Sinner harsher penalty after settlement

Jannik Sinner, Nick Kyrgios (Images via ATP/X)

Jannik Sinner made headlines earlier today after he accepted a three-month suspension from tennis for doping following a settlement with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). The anti-doping body then revealed that it had withdrawn its case against the Italian. But, the deal didn’t sit well with Nick Kyrgios, who has been one of Sinner’s major critics in the past few months.

Sinner, who won the 2025 Australian Open, tested twice positive for clostebol during and after last year’s Indian Wells Masters. The World No.1 was not hit with a suspension by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) after he appealed that the banned substance inadvertently entered his system.

YouTube video

However, WADA filed an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) claiming that Sinner must bear responsibility for what enters into his system. The hearing of the case was meant to begin in April but it has been withdrawn by the anti-doping body after they reached a three-month suspension settlement with Sinner.

Nonetheless, the handling of Sinner’s case has received scrutiny and criticism from current and former players. One of them has been Kyrgios, who has been outspoken about how impartial the system has been to the Italian. After he was handed a three-month suspension, he revealed that it was the saddest day in tennis.

So wada come out and say it would be a 1-2 year ban. Obviously sinners team have done everything in their power to just go ahead and take a 3 month ban, no titles lost, no prize money lost. Guilty or not? Sad day for tennis. Fairness in tennis does not exist.

Nick Kyrgios wrote via X

Sinner will serve his suspension from February 9 to May 4, which will see him miss the Sunshine Double and some of the clay court season. He will be eligible to play the Italian Open and French Open.

Jannik Sinner accepts WADA’s offer to resolve doping proceedings after almost a year

Jannik Sinner has often reiterated his innocence in his doping case. The Italian defended in August that his physiotherapist Giacomo Naldi, purchased an over-the-counter spray to help treat a minor cut on his finger. Naldi, who regularly massaged Sinner, did so during the Indian Wells tournament without wearing gloves.

Jannik Sinner
Jannik Sinner (Via X)

Following the WADA’s announcement of his three-month suspension, Sinner revealed via a statement that bears responsibility for his team actions and the case has been hanging over his head for nearly a year.

This case had been hanging over me for nearly a year and the process still had a long time to run with a decision maybe only at the end of the year. I have always accepted that I am responsible for my team and realise Wada’s strict rules are an important protection for the sport I love. On that basis I have accepted Wada’s offer to resolve these proceedings on the basis of a three-month sanction.

Jannik Sinner said via The Independent

Sinner has only played in one tournament this year, which was at the Australian Open. He withdrew from Rotterdam and is already out of the Qatar Open despite practicing at the event center for past few days.