Top tennis pundit believes there is ‘zero scandal’ in Jannik Sinner’s doping saga
Jannik Sinner is dividing opinions on his doping scandal once again, after it was put to bed initially before the US Open.
Jannik Sinner (Image via X)
Top tennis analyst and former coach Mark Petchey has criticized the narrative suggesting that Jannik Sinner is receiving special treatment from tennis authorities regarding his ongoing doping case. The 54-year-old strongly voiced his opinion on his X account.
On September 28, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) announced its decision to appeal the ruling made by an independent tribunal in August. The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) had cleared Sinner of any wrongdoing, despite the Italian testing positive for low levels of clostebol, a banned substance, during a tournament in March, earlier this year.
Just for the record there is ZERO scandal in the Sinner case. He and his lawyers worked within the framework of what the rules are in the situation he found himself and got a decision based on the evidence presented. No conspiracy, no cover-up. WADA today have looked at it and decided that they want to appeal the decision based on the ‘no fault or negligence’ was not correct under the applicable rules. This is how the law works every single day.
Mark Petchey tweeted on X
Petchey defended the World No. 1, rejecting the criticism aimed at Sinner. He even responded to comments online, saying that people need to understand the full story before passing judgment.
No, he did not. False narrative and it’s exhausting to watch people being allowed to peddle this slander
Mark Petchey replied
WADA has now taken the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), seeking a ban of “one to two years” and claiming the ITIA’s decision was “incorrect under the rules.” Sinner, meanwhile, will hope to focus on his game, as he did during the US Open, and block out the off-court controversies as he defends his China Open title.
Jannik Sinner’s ongoing doping saga: What do we know so far?
World No.1 Jannik Sinner tested positive for a banned substance at the Indian Wells tournament, which led to sanctions in August. He lost both his prize money and ranking points from the event, but his suspension was quickly overturned. Earlier in 2024, Sinner had won his first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open, and later he went on to win the US Open.
Sinner explained that the banned substance came from contamination after his physiotherapist, Giacomo Naldi, treated a cut on his hand without wearing gloves. The spray used for the treatment is available over the counter in Italy. The news of WADA’s appeal came while Sinner was competing in China. After a win over Roman Safiullin, the 23-year-old expressed his surprise and disappointment, saying he had three hearings that all ruled in his favor.
Sinner’s legal team insists that he is innocent and was a victim of an error. They argue that while anti-doping rules need to be strict, sometimes innocent athletes are caught up in them. Many players, including Rafael Nadal, have pointed to the small amount of the substance found in Sinner’s test, with Nadal stating that he believes in Sinner’s good faith. Novak Djokovic also criticized the lack of clear protocols in the system.
Other players, like Denis Shapovalov, expressed concern about how others who were banned for similar cases might feel. Sinner has not been suspended, and it remains uncertain when the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) will review the case or issue a ruling. Sinner is now looking ahead to January, where he hopes to defend his title at the Australian Open.
Fahad Hamid
(341 Articles Published)