Kyrgios Criticizes Tennis Fairness After Sinner's Doping Ban
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Synopsis
Australian tennis player Nicholas Kyrgios criticized the lack of fairness in tennis after Jannik Sinner's settlement with WADA, resulting in a three-month ban instead of a longer suspension. Sinner claims contamination from a support staff member led to his positive test for a banned substance.
Key Takeaways
- Kyrgios questions fairness in tennis
- Sinner receives a three-month ban from WADA
- Contamination linked to support staff member
- Live discussions planned by Kyrgios on social media
- Sinner eligible to return for Roland Garros
New Delhi, Feb 15 (NationPress) “Fairness in tennis does not exist,” declared Australian tennis star Nicholas Kyrgios following the announcement that world No.1 Jannik Sinner has come to an agreement with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). This settlement results in Sinner receiving a three-month ban instead of the two-year suspension that WADA had initially sought.
Sinner was determined by an independent tribunal of the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) to have no fault or negligence after testing positive for clostebol, a banned substance, on two occasions in March 2024.
The Italian athlete noted that the substance entered his body due to contact with a support staff member who had been using an ‘over-the-counter spray’ with minimal levels of clostebol. The contamination occurred after repeated massages from this staff member.
“WADA initially proposed a 1-2 year ban. Clearly, Sinner's team exerted all efforts to secure a 3-month ban—no titles lost, no prize money lost. Is he guilty or not? It’s a disappointing day for tennis. Fairness in tennis does not exist,” Kyrgios stated in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Kyrgios expressed his intention to further discuss this decision, planning to hold live discussions on X next week. “I know many players share similar sentiments, so I aim to hold live spaces next week to discuss this—stay tuned for the timing,” he mentioned.
Sinner, who claimed victory at the 2025 Australian Open in January, will serve his three-month ban from February 9 to May 4, having already completed four days under provisional suspension. He is expected to resume training on April 13.
His return on May 4 will enable him to compete in the second Grand Slam of the season at Roland Garros, the venue for the French Open, taking place in Paris, France from May 19 to June 8.
