Novak Djokovic called on tennis’ governing bodies to urgently overhaul the sport’s anti-doping system.
Speaking in Doha ahead of the ATP Qatar Open, the 24-time Grand Slam champion pointed to “inconsistencies” in cases involving top stars such as Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek, compared to those of lower-ranked players.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) announced on Saturday that it had reached an agreement with Sinner over a three-month suspension, which will allow the Italian to return in time for the next Grand Slam – the French Open – which starts on May 25.
World No 1 Sinner accepted the ban, admitting “partial responsibility” for mistakes made by his team which led to him twice testing positive for traces of clostebol in March last year.
Last year, five-time Grand Slam champion Swiatek accepted a one-month ban after testing positive for the banned heart drug trimetazidine.
“It’s not a good image for our sport, that’s for sure,” Djokovic said. “The majority of the players feel like there is favouritism happening. It seems like it appears that you can almost affect the outcome if you are a top player, if you have access to the top lawyers and whatnot.
“Swiatek and Sinner are innocent and it’s proven, unless it’s proven otherwise. So right now we know they’re innocent,” he added.
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Tim Henman says that Sinner’s three-month ban from tennis seems ‘too convenient’ and leaves a ‘sour taste’ for the sport
“We’ve seen on social media, Simona Halep and Tara Moore and some other players that are maybe less known, that have been struggling to resolve their cases for years or have gotten the ban for years. I think right now it’s a ripe time for us to really address the system, because the system and the structure obviously doesn’t work with anti-doping. It’s obvious.
“So, I hope that in the next period of the near future that the governing bodies are going to come together of our Tours and the tennis ecosystem and try to find a more, effective way to to deal with these processes.”
Sky Sports News has contacted World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) for comment.
Sinner: WADA’s strict rules are important protection for the sport I love
Sinner, who last month retained his Australian Open title to claim his third Grand Slam triumph, tested positive in March 2024 for the anabolic steroid clostebol, before being cleared in August by an independent tribunal who determined he was not to blame.
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Watch Sinner beat Alexander Zverev in straight sets to retain the Australian Open title
In a case presented by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), the tribunal accepted Sinner’s explanation that the banned substance entered his body as a result of a massage from his physiotherapist, who had used a spray containing the steroid to treat a cut on their finger.
Sinner subsequently fired physio Giacomo Naldi and his trainer Umberto Ferrara, who Sinner said had supplied Naldi with the over-the-counter spray.
But WADA, who previously said it was seeking a ban of between one and two years for Sinner, appealed against that decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in September and a subsequent hearing had been set for April 16 and 17.
In a statement released on Saturday, WADA explained that it continues to believe Sinner did not intend to cheat but that he was responsible for his entourage’s negligence.
The Italian has accepted a period of ineligibility that suspends him from playing from February 9 until May 4, and said on Saturday via a statement that he had made the decision because he realises “WADA’s strict rules are an important protection for the sport I love”.
‘Fairness in tennis doesn’t exist’
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Nick Kyrgios criticised the doping cases involving Sinner and Iga Swiatek, saying it’s been handled ‘horrifically’ and that ‘treatment has to be fair for everyone’
Nick Kyrgios says the leniency of a three-month ban given to Sinner after two positive drug tests in 2024 has shown that “fairness in tennis does not exist”.
“So WADA come out and say it would be a 1-2 year ban,” Kyrgios wrote on X.
“Obviously Sinner’s 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.”
In a separate post, he added: “I know a lot of players that are feeling the same way at the moment.
“So he was found guilty – hence the ban. But didn’t get stripped of anything and can play the French. Sad sad sad day.”
Draper: Sinner ban not good for tennis
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Jack Draper hopes Sinner is going to be okay after the Italian was banned for three months following two positive drug tests in 2024
British No 1 Jack Draper said players should be accountable for what goes into their bodies but believes Sinner’s ban is not good for tennis.
“I know Jannik. he’s a good friend, and I know that with this whole thing, I’m sure he wouldn’t have done anything intentional,” Draper said.
“But obviously that’s the sport and we have to be accountable for what goes in our bodies.
“He’s got a ban for a few months, I don’t think that’s good for tennis, I don’t think it’s good for the sport that the No 1 player in the world, and someone who’s doing incredible things is having to face a ban.
“But he’ll be back shortly and I wish him the best and I hope he’s going to be okay.”
