'Sad Day For Tennis': Nick Kyrgios Furious About Jannik Sinner's Doping Ban
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Nick Kyrgios did not hide his anger after Jannik Sinner received a three-month doping suspension in a case resolution with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
WADA had appealed the International Tennis Integrity Agency's (ITIA) decision to clear Sinner of wrongdoing after he tested positive for the prohibited substance clostebol at March's Indian Wells Open.
Despite not disputing the ITIA's determination that Sinner never meant to take the clostebol and that his physiotherapist accidentally contaminated him, WADA initially still wanted a ban of between one and two years implemented.
The appeal hearing at the Court of Arbitration for Sport was scheduled for April 16th and 17th, but that was avoided after the surprising agreement between WADA and Sinner. His suspension runs from February 9th to May 4th.
Kyrgios has been Sinner's most vocal critic since the doping first became public in August, repeatedly casting doubt on whether the clostebol was taken accidentally and arguing that anyone who tests positive should receive a two-year ban.
Unsurprisingly, Kyrgios is unsatisfied with Sinner's short ban that was negotiated outside the scheduled appeal hearing. In a post on X, the 2022 Wimbledon runner-up wrote that the development proves fairness in tennis does not exist.
"So WADA come out and say it would be a 1-2 year ban. Obviously sinners team have done everything in their power to just go ahead and take a 3 month ban, no titles lost, no prize money lost. Guilty or not? Sad day for tennis. Fairness in tennis does not exist."
At this point, what happened behind the scenes that led to the three-month ban is unknown. Kyrgios' opinion that Sinner's team tried to secure a deal is possible, but WADA might also have reached out first.
In a separate X post, Kyrgios claimed he knows many players who share his anger and told fans to watch out for collaborations on X Spaces, which allows users to hold audio conversations that others can listen to.
"I know a lot of players that are feeling the same way at the moment so looking to hold live spaces next week so we can talk about it - stay tuned for exact time."
It is challenging to gauge the overall reaction from other players at this point since the news about Sinner and WADA's case resolution is so recent. ATP stars will undoubtedly be asked about it at next week's 2025 Qatar Open and 2025 Rio Open.
Most players have commented cautiously about Sinner's case, but some have expressed frustration. This included the 2025 Dallas Open champion Shapovalov, who had nothing against Sinner personally but thinks other players have been mistreated by comparison.
By contrast, others have robustly defended Sinner. A notable example was Italy's Davis Cup Captain, Filippo Volandri, who said a ban would be one of the biggest injustices in history before the news of the three-month suspension became official.
Sinner undoubtedly hopes that accepting the ban will allow him to move on from the saga, but the case will continue to generate reactions from players and fans worldwide in the coming days and weeks.
