Swiatek And Sinner Defended From 'Rubbish' Claims By Former World No. 3
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Many have criticized Iga Swiatek and Jannik Sinner after they tested positive for banned substances, but former ATP star Nikolay Davydenko has defended them.
Sinner twice tested positive for the banned substance clostebol at March's Indian Wells Open. A five-month investigation from the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) initially cleared him of wrongdoing.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) appealed the case. It does not dispute Sinner's explanation of accidental contamination after massages from his physiotherapist but believes he bears more fault than the ITIA's investigation showed.
A ruling from the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Sinner's case will be reached sometime in 2025, but it will not be before February 11th, as the Italian's case did not appear in those listed until then.
Swiatek accepted a one-month ban after testing positive for trimetazidine from an out-of-competition sample she submitted. That led to the Pole being given a provisional ban on September 12th.
Swiatek had it overturned 22 days later, on October 4th, after further testing proved her explanation that melatonin, a legal product, had been contaminated with trimetazidine by the drug manufacturer she bought it from.
Some high-profile figures have slammed Swiatek and Sinner. Nick Kyrgios has been a vocal critic, while a former ATP No. 1 stunningly argued that anyone who tests positive for a banned substance should receive a lifetime ban.
However, some have sympathy for both players, especially due to a rule change WADA plans to implement from the start of 2027 that would have probably cleared Swiatek and Sinner due to the negligible amount of the banned substances in their tests.
Davydenko is among the players who sympathize with Swiatek and Sinner. The 2009 ATP Finals winner outlined to Match TV how much Sinner has impressed him this season and refused to join those calling him a doper.
"Sinner is playing very well, he is great. I like his tactics on the court, it is not about doping. I saw him in 2019, compared to now, the difference is very decent. Jannik started to play differently. The tactics changed seriously, so many do not have time to play with him."
"Half of the tennis players now say that he is winning because of doping. I will not shout to the press that he is bad, but I will admit my guilt and my mistake as a coach."
The four-time Grand Slam semifinalist also said it is rubbish to suggest that players can become better players after taking a pill while discussing Swiatek's melatonin tablets being contaminated.
"You go to the pharmacy, you buy a pill for your bronchial pain and there's salbutamol, which is considered doping. You always have to be in contact with a sports doctor, it's rubbish. You're not going to become a better player because of a pill."
"Tennis is tennis, you're not going to become world number one because of doping. It used to be easier to regulate doping, but now it's gotten worse. It's starting to get crazy. It was easier when I was playing. We were under pressure too, but we took it normally."
