Nadal Defends Sinner Despite Saying His Doping Case Was 'Not Good For Sport'
NewsSunday, 27 April 2025 at 14:25
Rafael Nadal is a type of person who always says what he thinks honestly and directly, and he did that when talking about Jannik Sinner's doping case as well.
Rafael Nadal hasn't always gone out of his way to talk about challenging topics, but whenever he was asked, the Spaniard provided an honest answer that honestly reflected his feelings.
Now, he doesn't face questions from the press so much anymore, as the 38-year-old retired at last year's Davis Cup and doesn't compete professionally anymore.
Still, every now and then, Nadal sits down for an interview, like he did recently when he talked to the Italian publication Gazzetta. Of course, during the interview, the 22-time Grand Slam champion faced questions about Italian players as well, specifically Jannik Sinner.
The ATP World No. 1 player will return to the sport at the upcoming Italian Open after serving a three-month ban. The Italian's suspension divided tennis fans around the world, but Nadal has a very clear opinion about it.
The 14-time French Open champion was very honest when saying that he thinks the case didn't help the sport at all. At the same time, he didn't want to question the final verdict at all.
"The case was not positive for our sport. But these things sometimes happen, accidents happen. I see it this way because I believe in Jannik. Of course, I don’t want to question the sentence. There are protocols that we all followed during our careers."
"In this case the authorities had all the information available, not the information we have, which can often be limited and subjective. I believe in the sentence. Jannik accepted the three-month sanction and so the case is closed."
Nadal and Sinner don't know each other too well, since the young Italian emerged at the time when Nadal was already in the closing stages of his tennis career, but the legendary Spaniard still knows something about Sinner, and he thinks the 23-year-old is an honest person.
"I am convinced that Jannik has never tried to cheat or gain an advantage over others. I am sure that he is not only innocent, but also an honest person."
Nadal also spoke about the protocols for the doping cases. Those have been under fire since the two high-profile cases of Sinner and Iga Swiatek became public, with many thinking there are inconsistencies. According to the former Spanish player, players should take initiative to improve the protocols in question.
"If we don’t like how they work, then the people involved should work to improve them. But I don’t like to speak badly of our sport. Those protocols have always been accepted and signed by us, after all."
Nadal is currently enjoying his life away from the tennis courts, and it seems that he doesn't plan to return, at least to the exhibition court, anytime soon. He recently said that he doesn't miss tennis at all.
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