"Favouritism happening": The tennis world reacts to Jannik Sinner's doping ban

Novak Djokovic is arguably the greatest male tennis player of all time, so his voice carries some weight when he speaks. So his comments following Jannik Sinner's pan for testing positive for banned drugs could make waves in the tennis world.

Djokovic told reporters at the Qatar Open, “There’s a majority of the players that I’ve talked to in the locker room, not just in the last few days, but also the last few months, that are not happy with the way this whole process has been handled.”

The 24-time Grand Slam champion continued, “A majority of the players don’t feel it’s fair. A majority of the players feel like there is favouritism happening. It appears that you can almost affect the outcome if you are a top player, if you have access to the top lawyers.”

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The Serbian's comments come following Sinner's ban, which was reduced to three months following a settlement with the World Anti-Doping Agency. The decision by WADA has left some players and pundits questioning the cleanliness of the sport.

WADA initially hoped to ban Sinner for up to two years, per BBC Sport, but agreed a settlement with the Italian. The agreement concluded Sinner had taken a banned substance, but it was inadvertent and he, “did not intend to cheat.”

Sinner has had an incredible 12 or so months, winning the 2024 and 2025 Australian Opens and claiming victory at the 2024 US Open too. His consistency has seen him rise to world number one, and he looks set to have a career-long rivalry with Carlos Alcaraz as the two young guns ascend to the top of the sport. Should we be questioning Sinner’s success, however?

Stan Wawrinka, one of the best male players in recent times not named Federer, Djokovic or Nadal, posted on X (formerly Twitter), “I don't believe in a clean sport anymore…”. Wawrinka won three Grand Slams himself, so is speaking from a position of authority.

The outspoken Australian player Nick Kyrgios also weighed in on X, writing, “So they found him [Sinner] guilty... hence the suspension. But they don't take away his points, and he can play in Roland Garros. Today is a very, very sad day. I hope that children playing tennis will not behave like this in the future.”

Another former Grand Slam champion, Yevgeny Kafelnikov suggested he would refuse to play Sinner if he was currently active, “Every time I draw Sinner in the tournament, I do not go on court, doesn't matter if the first round or final.” Adding, “I don't understand! If you are 100% sure of your innocence, why accept a three-month suspension?”

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The three-month ban does seem convenient, as it will allow Sinner to return to competitive tennis in time for the French Open at Roland Garros. Whether that was involved in the settlement agreement or not, we don’t know, but given there is an acceptance of guilt, the punishment could arguably be harsher.

Former British number one and current tennis pundit Tim Henman agrees, telling Sky Sports, “Obviously having just won the Australian Open, to miss three months of the Tour and therefore to be eligible to play at Roland Garros, the timing couldn't have been any better for Sinner, but I still think it leaves a pretty sour taste for the sport.”

Sinner’s punishment is seemingly unprecedented, with former British doubles player Tara Moore questioning the process on social media. Moore, who was previously banned for two years before having the ban lifted, wrote, “Can someone explain how a negotiation was possible?” per BBC Sport.

The Professional Tennis Players Association has highlighted how Sinner’s punishment exposes the lack of consistency in player’s punishments. The PTPA released a statement reading, “The 'system' is not a system. It's a club. Supposed case-by-case discretion is, in fact, merely cover for tailored deals, unfair treatment, and inconsistent rulings.”

Sinner’s lawyer, Jamie Singer, released a statement of his own claiming, “Wada has confirmed the facts determined by the Independent Tribunal. It is clear that Jannik had no intent, no knowledge, and gained no competitive advantage. Regrettably, errors made by members of his team led to this situation.”

As in all sports, there will always be instances of players attempting to gain an edge through illicit means, but with Sinner facing what seems to be a very light punishment, it begs the question, is tennis clean?

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