Jannik Sinner will not be present on the ATP Tour over the next three months after accepting a ban from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
Sinner will return for the Italian Open in May, and will not be forced to miss any Grand Slam tournaments after accepting a lesser ban than WADA were originally seeking.
After appealing the International Tennis Integrity Agency’s (ITIA) verdict that Sinner was not guilty of any wrongdoing following two positive anti-doping tests last March, WADA revealed that they were seeking a ban of between one and two years.
This much shorter ban than many were expecting has prompted a strong response from some players, with Nick Kyrgios continually outspoken about Sinner.
Kyrgios is one of many to have criticized the ruling, with Stan Wawrinka not holding back about Sinner’s case and what it means for tennis.
While not necessarily being so strong, Daniil Medvedev also commented on Sinner and what the ruling should mean for future cases.
Although Novak Djokovic has not released a statement of his own just yet, the organization that he co-founded have not held back.
PTPA release statement upon the verdict of Jannik Sinner’s three month ban
Djokovic co-founded the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) with Canadian Vasek Pospisil in 2019.
The organization claims to represent the top 500 singles players, as well as players inside the top 200 of the doubles rankings on both the ATP and WTA Tours.
Djokovic admitted his frustration surrounding Sinner’s doping case last year, and now the PTPA have reacted to Sinner accepting a three month ban in a strongly worded social media statement.
“No matter who you root for, several things are now clear,” the statement began.
“The ‘system’ is not a system. It’s a club. Supposed case-by-case discretion is, in fact, merely cover for tailored deals, unfair treatment, and inconsistent rulings.
“It’s not just the different results for different players. It’s the lack of transparency. The lack of process. The lack of consistency. The lack of credibility in the alphabet soup of agencies charged with regulating our sports and athletes. The lack of commitment from the ATP, WTA, Grand Slams, ITIA, and WADA to reform and create a fair and transparent system going forward.
“The bias is unacceptable for all athletes and shows a deep disrespect for every sport and its fans. It’s time for change. And we will change it.”
What could Jannik Sinner’s ban mean for Novak Djokovic?
Sinner was likely to have been present at all of Djokovic’s tournaments leading up to his scheduled return at the Italian Open, including upcoming ATP 500 tournament in Doha.
With Djokovic currently ranked lower down at world number seven, Sinner’s absence is likely to remove one less obstacle in the Serbian’s bid to win a historic 100th career title.
This feels especially relevant as Djokovic has lost four of his last five matches against the current world number one.
Two of those matches came last year, with Sinner beating Djokovic in both the Australian Open semi-final and the Shanghai Masters final.
While Sinner will not be able to compete until May 4, Djokovic returns from injury at the Qatar Open with a first round match against Matteo Berrettini.
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