Rafael Nadal backs Sinner in doping case, says 'Jannik never wanted to cheat'

Spanish tennis legend Rafael Nadal has backed current world no. 1 Jannik Sinner in the doping case ahead of the start of French Open 2025. Sinner was found guilty of the presence of banned substance in his body and served a three-month ban before making a comeback at this month's Italian Open.

“I’ve said it several times: I’m totally convinced that Jannik never wanted to cheat or do anything illicit. I’d bet my life on it. There’s always a lot of fuss about this kind of thing, and when it happens, it’s bad for everyone. For him, who, I think, has been through an ordeal for a year. Obviously for tennis, this kind of thing is negative,” Nadal told the French newspaper L’equipe.

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“After that, if you question everything in life, you can question everything. All I’m saying is that I trust Jannik. But just as I trust Jannik, I also trust the law. I don’t like to give my opinion on things I don’t know. So I understand that when the courts make decisions, it’s because they have all the necessary information that we don’t have. So I don’t like to see other players talking about it, without having the information. The people who have it, throughout the whole process, are the ones who have to make the decisions and judge the facts," he added.

The ban which started on Feb 9 earlier this year, shortly after he defended his Australian Open crown, ended on May 4, about a couple of weeks before the French Open 2025.

According to Sinner, a physio gave him the drug unknowingly and the International Tennis Integrity Agency agreed with the explanation.

World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), however, pushed for one year ban. The two agencies reached a settlement for three months but Sinner won't be missing any major tournaments.