Months after Novak Djokovic cried favoritism over the best way skilled tennis dealt with penalties for optimistic doping circumstances from World No. 1 Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek this yr, Aryna Sabalenka shared her opinion on the scenario and what gamers must take care of involving drug checks.
Sabalenka, the present No. 1-ranked girls’s participant, will tackle 2022 Wimbledon runner-up Nick Kyrgios in a “Battle of the Sexes” match in Dubai on Dec. 28. The pair appeared on Piers Morgan this week to preview the competition later this month earlier than the dialog shifted to Sinner.
Sinner obtained a three-month suspension earlier this yr after he was discovered to have hint quantities of Clostebol in his pattern final yr and didn’t miss any Grand Slam tournaments. Sinner examined optimistic on March 10, 2024, in the course of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California, and examined optimistic a second time eight days later.
Sinner and his group argued the pattern was from a therapeutic massage from a coach who used a substance to deal with a minimize on his finger. The Worldwide Tennis Integrity Company accepted this clarification and selected to not transfer ahead with any expenses in opposition to Sinner. Nevertheless, the World Anti-Doping Company challenged that call and was pushing for no less than a one-year ban for the Italian.
“We’re undecided what really happening there,” Sabalenka stated. “I imagine in clear sport and I additionally imagine that everybody must be handled the identical. However on the similar time, I do not imagine that there was one thing in there, to be trustworthy. Me, I am actually making an attempt to watch out with all the things and overprotecting myself after a few circumstances, as a result of you possibly can eat one thing in [a] restaurant and you then take a look at optimistic.”
Earlier this yr, Djokovic stated Sinner’s doping allegations had been a “cloud will comply with him like that Covid cloud will comply with me.” He stated he disagreed with the provisional three-month ban and stated it had quite a bit to do along with his rating at No. 1. To Djokovic’s level, Sabalenka stated she needs “everybody must be handled the identical” and introduced up an analogous case with Swiatek’s doping scenario.
Kyrgios continues to be bullish on his opinion of Sinner.
“The important thing factor Novak stated was whether or not it was there or wasn’t there, he is nonetheless accountable,” Kyrgios stated. “The best way the case was dealt with as an entire … was very … It wasn’t a very good search for the game. He was our No. 1 tennis participant on the planet. The media in our sport on the time wasn’t good. I used to be answerable for that. We should always’ve have that backwards and forwards with gamers on-line. The folks competing in opposition to him, why are we being withheld that info? We should always know precisely what is going on on. Why is the trial behind closed doorways?
“On the similar time, the best way Jannik bounced again from it’s wonderful. As a lot as me and Jannik Sinner have variations, the best way he took the ban and got here again and almost gained Rome. He took his time without work and he grew to become higher. There is not any doubt he will be one of many biggest gamers of all-time.”
Sinner reached the finals of the French Open within the epic five-setter once more Carlos Alcaraz and later gained Wimbledon this yr following his short-term ban. He has 4 profession majors to his credit score, all coming for the reason that starting of the 2024 season.
