Novak Djokovic is the latest to share his thoughts on doping in tennis, with Jannik Sinner’s case still ongoing.
Rennae Stubbs thinks Sinner could be banned after the Australian Open, which gets underway in Melbourne next month.
Sinner tested positive for banned substance clostebol earlier this year, but was cleared of any wrongdoing by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA).
The decision was, however, challenged by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), who launched an appeal.
Sinner enjoyed huge success in 2024, with the Italian winning eight titles, including the Australian Open and US Open.
Novak Djokovic shares his frustration at Jannik Sinner’s drug case
He will now be looking to defend his title in Melbourne, although he is not in Brisbane this week, where Djokovic is the top seed.
And the Serbian has now shared his verdict on the current situation regarding drug cases, telling Eurosport: “Not a good image for and not a good look for our sport.
“Of course you don’t want to see that because I believe that in the last 20-plus years that I’ve been playing on the professional tour that we’ve been one of the cleanest sports, and at least I believe we are, or we have been.
“So I will keep on believing in that clean sport. I’m just questioning the way the system works really, and why certain players are not treated the same like the other players.
“The issue is the inconsistency, the transparency. We’ve been kept in the dark with Jannik’s case. I mean, I’m not questioning whether he took the banned substance intentionally or not.
“I believe in a clean sport. I believe that the player will do everything possible to be playing fair. And I’ve known Jannik since he was very young, so he doesn’t strike me as somebody that would do such a thing.
“But I’ve been really frustrated, as most of the other players, to see that we’ve been kept in the dark for five months.”
Nick Kyrgios reacts after Novak Djokovic shares his thoughts on Jannik Sinner
One ATP Tour player that has been very vocal about Sinner’s ongoing case is Nick Kyrgios, who is also playing in Brisbane.
Kyrgios labelled Sinner’s ruling ‘ridiculous’, with a feisty encounter expected between the pair should they be drawn together in 2025.
READ MORE: Nick Kyrgios now confirms the reason why he did not interview Jannik Sinner on court at the US Open
The Australian is back on the court after a lengthy spell out with various injuries, while the Italian is currently the number one player in the world.
Kyrgios has now continued to be vocal about Sinner on social media, with the former reacting to Djokovic’s comments on the Italian in his Brisbane International press conference.
“We live in a world where everyone has the right to express themselves, especially on social media,” said Djokovic.
“Nick has spoken a lot about the whole Jannik doping case, and he’s right about the transparency and the inconsistency of the protocols and the comparisons between the various cases.
“We have seen many players in the past, and also currently, who have been suspended for not even having undergone anti-doping tests and for not having communicated their whereabouts, and some lower-ranked players who have been waiting for their cases to be resolved for more than a year.”
And Kyrgios has shared the quotes on his X account, accompanied by the simple message: “Goat has spoken.”
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