DOHA, Qatar — Novak Djokovic has expressed concerns that many tennis players are losing confidence in the anti-doping organizations after Jannik Sinner received a three-month suspension. He mentioned a prevailing sentiment among players that “favoritism” is shown towards the sport’s elite athletes.
The champion with 24 major titles urged the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) to reconsider their approach to handling doping violations, stating that “the system and the structure obviously don’t work.”
At the Qatar Open, Djokovic remarked, “At this moment, there is a general lack of trust among tennis players, both male and female, towards WADA and ITIA and the overall process.”
Sinner, currently ranked among the top players, finalized an agreement with WADA that allows him to return in time for the French Open in May, thereby avoiding the loss of participation in any Grand Slam event. This decision came after ITIA decided not to impose a suspension on Sinner, determining that the presence of a banned anabolic steroid in his system resulted from accidental exposure last March.
The brief ban for Sinner contrasts with the one-month suspension received by Iga Swiatek, a five-time Grand Slam winner, in November following a positive test for a prohibited substance that she claimed was ingested accidentally through a contaminated over-the-counter medication. Both instances have drawn scrutiny as the lengths of their suspensions seem unusually short compared to typical penalties in both tennis and other sports for similar infractions.
Djokovic, a longtime leader in men’s tennis, stated, “This certainly does not present a positive image for our sport. I have spoken to many players in the locker room consistently over the past few days and even months who are dissatisfied with how this situation involving Sinner has been managed.”
He further noted, “Most players perceive this as unfair, and many believe that favoritism is in play. It seems possible to influence the outcome based on your standing as a premier player, along with access to elite legal representation.”
Sinner was initially slated to compete in Qatar prior to his decision to accept the ban. The handling of his case has already ignited discussions regarding possible double standards, leading to significant criticism from other players upon the announcement of the suspension. His positive results didn’t become public until August because Sinner successfully appealed against a provisional ban on playing. He subsequently triumphed at both the U.S. Open in September and the Australian Open in January.
Sinner attributed the trace amounts of Clostebol found in his doping sample to a massage from a trainer who had applied the substance after injuring himself, a reasoning that WADA accepted.
Djokovic noted that he did not question Sinner’s or Swiatek’s integrity but conveyed that there is growing frustration among players regarding the uneven treatment of doping cases across the sport. He pointed to former women’s World No. 1 Simona Halep, who was initially handed a four-year suspension in 2022 following a positive test, which was later modified to a nine-month ban. He also mentioned British player Tara Moore, who faced an 18-month investigation following a suspension in May 2022, only for a tribunal to conclude that her positive test stemmed from contaminated food.
Djokovic emphasized, “Now is an opportune moment to revamp our existing system, as it is clear that it is not functioning effectively. I hope that soon, governing bodies within our tours and the wider tennis community will collaborate to devise a more efficient method of addressing these issues.”
