Rafael Nadal breaks silence on Jannik Sinner doping controversy
Rafael Nadal has finally broken his silence on Jannik Sinner's doping saga and gave his thoughts on the controversial ruling.
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Rafael Nadal (Via Imago)
22-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal has shared his thoughts on the World No. 1 Jannik Sinner‘s doping controversy. The Australian Open champion narrowly escaped a potential ban from the tennis tour after testing positive for a banned substance twice.
This decision has generated backlash across the tennis fraternity. Nick Kyrgios even claimed that he won’t be as hospitable to the Italian as he has been so far. However, Nadal appeared to back tennis authorities in their controversial decision.
I don't believe in that Sinner wanted or meant to dope. Justice is justice and we don't have to like it only when they decide what we want them to decide. If he hasn't been sanctioned, it's because the judge has clearly seen that he hasn't doped. I don't think they have judged him as innocent simply because he is the World #1.Rafael Nadal said (via El_Hormiguero)
Nadal, meanwhile, has decided against playing at the US Open this year. This decision came shortly after he failed to win a medal in both the singles and doubles at the Paris Olympics The left-hander will next be seen in action at the Laver Cup, where he will represent Team Europe for the fourth time.
Jannik Sinner’s doping scandal: As it happened
World No.1 Jannik Sinner has been cleared of wrongdoing after twice testing positive for a banned substance in March. The Italian player tested positive for small amounts of a clostebol metabolite during the Indian Wells tournament. Another test, taken eight days later, also showed low levels of the same substance.
A provisional suspension was initially placed on Sinner. However, he successfully challenged it and continued to compete. The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) investigated the situation and found that the banned substance came from his physiotherapist, Giacomo Naldi, who had used an over-the-counter spray on his hand and then treated Sinner, leading to the accidental contamination.
The ITIA accepted that the contamination was not intentional and Sinner was cleared of any fault or negligence by an independent tribunal. Despite this, he lost the ranking points and prize money he earned from his semifinal run at Indian Wells.
Clostebol is often found in products used to treat swelling and irritation. It is on the World Anti-Doping Agency’s list of banned substances. Although some players criticized the decision, the ITIA noted that the levels in Sinner’s sample were very low and would not have made any difference to how he performed on the court.
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Fahad Hamid
(625 Articles Published)