Jannik Sinner's doping saga is still ongoing after the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) appealed the decision to clear him, but Jimmy Connors fears tennis may not be able to survive if he is banned.
The news of Sinner twice testing positive for the banned substance clostebol in March at the Indian Wells Open only became public a few days before the 2024 US Open. That followed a five-month investigation.
Sinner's explanation is that his fitness trainer, Umberto Ferrara, gave his physiotherapist, Giacomo Naldi, an over-the-counter spray for a cut on his finger. Ferrara did not know that the spray contained clostebol.
Naldi then gave Sinner massages without gloves after using the spray. That unknowingly led to tiny traces of clostebol entering Sinner's system, and he failed the two tests as a result.
The International Tennis Integrity Agency(ITIA) initially cleared Sinner, accepting his explanation and arguing that the Italian bore no fault or negligence for the mistakes made by his two team members.
However, WADA appealed the decision and wants a ban of between one and two years for Sinner. The body does not dispute Sinner's story of how the clostebol entered his system but feels he bears more fault for it than the ITIA's investigation found.
That means Sinner faces a nervous wait for a decision expected to come in the early months of 2025. The world No. 1 has remained focused on the court, winning the Six Kings Slam exhibition last week after beating Carlos Alcaraz in the final.
Sinner's former fitness coach and physiotherapist must also be desperate for the 23-year-old to avoid a ban. Naldi said in a recent interview that he hopes to speak more openly about the situation in the future.
Eight-time Grand Slam singles champion Connors worries about the consequences if Sinner receives a ban. Speaking on his podcast Advantage Connors, the American said tennis may not survive such devastating news.
"Listen, all I know is that I don’t think tennis at that level could survive that to hit a top player. They have shown in the past that they are not afraid to hit lower-ranked players and discard them from the game. But I don’t know if tennis at that level could take it."
Losing someone of Sinner's stature to a doping suspension could cause the sport to lose legitimacy among some fans. The quality of the sport might also drop without Sinner's epic battles with Carlos Alcaraz, in particular.
However, treating top players the same as lower-ranked players is also crucial for the sport's legitimacy and integrity. Whether Sinner receives a ban or not, his status as the world's No. 1 should not be considered in the decision.
Connors also thinks Sinner has performed well on the court since the news of his positive tests broke because it is an escape from thinking about the stressful situation.
"It’s his escape. Once he is out on that court he has too much to think about. His own game, his opponent. He knows what it is going to take to win. But what do you do for the other 20 hours over the rest of the day?"