Taylor Fritz has given a blunt opinion about how many tennis fans react to doping cases, slamming people for being tribal and not thinking logically.
The topic of doping has been in the headlines more than possibly any other year in the sport's history because two of the most high-profile names in the game tested positive for a banned substance in 2024.
A few days before this year's US Open, it was publicly revealed that Jannik Sinner twice tested positive for the banned substance clostebol at March's Indian Wells Open after massages from his physiotherapist, who had used a spray containing tiny traces of the substance.
After a private five-month investigation, the International Tennis Integrity Agency cleared Sinner of any wrongdoing, and he avoided a ban. His only punishment was losing the prize money and ranking points he earned from Indian Wells.
Sinner also did not receive a provisional suspension because the 23-year-old swiftly found where the contamination occurred. However, some fans and fellow players were unhappy about the investigation being kept private.
Unfortunately for Sinner, his ordeal is not over. The World Anti-Doping Agency appealed the decision to clear him and wants a ban of between one and two years. A ruling by the Court of Arbitration for Sport is expected in early 2025.
That story about the current ATP No. 1 was shocking on its own, but Iga Swiatek, who had dominated the WTA No. 1 spot since April 2022 until recently being overtaken by Aryna Sabalenka, also tested positive for a prohibited substance.
Swiatek received a provisional suspension on September 12th after being positive for the banned substance trimetazidine. Ten days later, on September 22nd, the four-time French Open champion appealed the provisional ban.
Testing by the Sports Medicine Research and Testing Laboratory confirmed that Swiatek's explanation of a non-prescription medicine being contaminated with trimetazidine was correct, meaning the International Tennis Integrity Agency lifted the provisional ban.
Swiatek accepted a one-month ban since her negligence was extremely low. The Pole's case being private, like Sinner's, because she successfully appealed the provisional ban irritated some and raised questions about transparency.
However, Fritz is more annoyed about fans on social media basing their opinions of doping cases on whether they like the given player and thinks it is absurd that many do not look at cases objectively.
"What drives me CRAZY about these situations (in terms of going on X) is not the actual cases themselves. It’s tough to know exactly what happened/all the details in all of these specific instances, so the speculation talk isn’t really my favorite thing to do."
"It’s fine to have your own honest opinions but what I can’t fathom and what is so upsetting to see as a player, is the INSANE bias from the tennis public supporting whatever story pushes the agenda they want to be pushed."
"If it’s a rival of the player you support that tests positive then you are on team “let’s call them a doper/cheater/disgrace them as much as possible” and if it’s your fav player that it’s about then it’s “innocent no questions asked”. How are you not able to remove your own personal bias and form an educated and honest opinion for yourself?"
"Even if as the player, you can prove your innocence (not saying anyone is or isn’t) people that support rival players/have bias against you will always blindly push the narrative you are a cheater, and that fact really makes me sad for all the true innocent players that have to go through this."