By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Saturday, February 15, 2025
Jannik Sinner has left the tennis community reeling with his recent agreement with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). The Italian ace has accepted a three-month suspension, which conveniently ensures he won’t miss any of the Grand Slam tournaments. He’s set to make his return on May 4.
This resolution hasn’t sat well with everyone. The three-time major champion, Stan Wawrinka, quickly took to social media to express his disappointment over the settlement reached with Sinner.
“Clean sport seems like a lost cause,” the Swiss player bluntly tweeted alongside a sense of resignation.
Fellow tennis player Feliciano Lopez, who once ranked as high as World No. 12 and currently heads the Madrid tournament, came to Sinner’s defense. “The evidence shows he hadn’t done anything to boost his performance. He’s stepping up to take responsibility for someone else’s error and accepts a three-month ban due to that. Would extending the suspension make tennis cleaner? I doubt it,” he remarked.
WADA, on its part, decided to retract its appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, where they originally aimed for a one to two-year ban for Sinner. The hearing was meant to kick off on April 16, which would have risked Sinner missing out on significant summer tournaments had he faced a longer ban. This sense of timing has raised eyebrows, including those of Tim Henman, who commented on Sky Sports, “It just feels a tad too convenient.”
Former tennis star Yevgeny Kafelnikov went one step further, suggesting that players should avoid playing matches against Sinner when he makes his comeback. He shared, “If I were still playing, I’d skip any match against Sinner, no matter if it’s the first round or the final. Sadly, I doubt others will do the same.”
Nick Kyrgios, known for his outspoken nature, was quick to voice his disapproval, describing it as a bleak day for the sport. “WADA intended for a one to two-year suspension. Clearly, Sinner’s team worked hard to reduce it to a mere three months. No titles forfeited, no prize money lost. Guilty or not, this is a sad day for tennis. Fairness in this sport is fading away,” he posted.
With these varied and strong opinions swirling around, it seems like the debate over fairness and integrity in tennis is just heating up.
