World number five Jessica Pegula believes the handling of high-profile doping cases involving Jannick Sinner and Iga Swiatek has shown that the "process is completely broken". And top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka said she cannot trust the tennis anti-doping system and has become "too scared" of it.<o:p></o:p>
Sinner&rsquo;s long doping saga came to an end on Saturday (Feb 15) after he agreed to a three-month ban from tennis, with the world number one admitting "partial responsibility" for team mistakes that had led to him twice testing positive for traces of clostebol in March last year.<o:p></o:p>
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/world-number-one-jannik-sinner-accepts-three-month-suspension-over-doping-charges-8723883" rel="dofollow">Tennis: Jannik Sinner accepts three-month suspension over doping charges</a>
Sinner was facing a potential ban of two years after the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against his initial exoneration by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), announced in August.<o:p></o:p>
In a surprise move, WADA withdrew its appeal and came to an agreement with Sinner to accept a three-month ban.<o:p></o:p>
In a statement, WADA said "Sinner did not intend to cheat" but would serve his suspension as he is responsible for the actions of his entourage.<o:p></o:p>
Swiatek accepted a one-month ban after testing positive for the banned heart drug trimetazidine (TMZ) late last year. The 23-year-old Pole had pulled out of the WTA's Asian swing in September-October citing "personal matters".<o:p></o:p>
Pegula, last year&rsquo;s US Open finalist and a member of the WTA Players' Council, said the inconsistencies in the way cases are being processed and judged is creating an unfair environment for all tennis players.<o:p></o:p>
"I think my reaction is that, whether you think he did or you don't, or whatever side you're on, the process just seems to be completely not a process," the American told reporters in Dubai on Sunday. "It seems to just be whatever decisions and factors they take into consideration, and they just make up their own ruling. <o:p></o:p>
"I don't really understand how that's fair for players when there's just so much inconsistency and you have no idea."<o:p></o:p>
Pegula added that any emails the players have been receiving regarding anti-doping cases contain explanations that are too easy to come up with, and are just ways for anti-doping organisations to justify their inconsistent rulings and processes.<o:p></o:p>
"If you're clean or not, the process is completely broken," she stated. "I think it needs to be seriously looked at and considered."<o:p></o:p>
"I feel like they have so much power to ruin someone's career, as well. I think there needs to be something done about that because it just seems really unfair.<o:p></o:p>
&ldquo;I don't think any of the players trust the process at all right now. Zero. It's just a horrible look for the sport."<o:p></o:p>
<h2>'Too scared': Sabalenka<o:p></o:p></h2>
Sabalenka, meanwhile, refused to comment on the outcome of the Sinner case but said she had become too wary of falling foul of the sport&rsquo;s strict anti-doping rules.<o:p></o:p>
"You just start to be more careful. For example, before I wouldn't care about leaving my glass of water and go to the bathroom in a restaurant. Now, I&rsquo;m not going to drink from the same glass of water," said the Belarusian world number one.<o:p></o:p>
"You just become a bit more aware of stuff and this thing gets to your head that, like, if someone used a cream on you and you test positive, they&rsquo;re going to go for you and they&rsquo;re not going to believe you or anything.<o:p></o:p>
"You just become too scared of the system. I don&rsquo;t see how I can trust the system."<o:p></o:p>
American world number three Coco Gauff has not paid much attention to the details of the recent anti-doping cases and is instead sticking to her strategy of avoiding any supplements to minimise the risk of testing positive for any banned substance.<o:p></o:p>
"I trust that everyone is doing what they can to protect the sport. As a player, that's all I can hope for," said the former US Open champion.<o:p></o:p>
"I just hope it's more for the protection of the sport and not just out to, like, get players."
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Sports, Tennis: Sinner’s long doping saga came to an end on Saturday after he agreed to a three-month ban from tennis; he admitted "partial responsibility" for team mistakes.

World number five Jessica Pegula believes the handling of high-profile doping cases involving Jannick Sinner and Iga Swiatek has shown that the "process is completely broken". And top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka said she cannot trust the tennis anti-doping system and has become "too scared" of it. Sinner’s long doping saga came to an end on Saturday (Feb 15) after he agreed to a three-month ban from tennis, with the world number one admitting "partial responsibility" for team mistakes that had led to him twice testing positive for traces of clostebol in March last year. Also read | Tennis: Jannik Sinner accepts three-month suspension over doping charges Sinner was facing a potential ban of two years after the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against his initial exoneration by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), announced in August. In a surprise move, WADA withdrew its appeal and came to an agreement with Sinner to accept a three-month ban. In a statement, WADA said "Sinner did not intend to cheat" but would serve his suspension as he is responsible for the actions of his entourage. Swiatek accepted a one-month ban after testing positive for the banned heart drug trimetazidine (TMZ) late last year. The 23-year-old Pole had pulled out of the WTA's Asian swing in September-October citing "personal matters". Pegula, last year’s US Open finalist and a member of the WTA Players' Council, said the inconsistencies in the way cases are being processed and judged is creating an unfair environment for all tennis players. "I think my reaction is that, whether you think he did or you don't, or whatever side you're on, the process just seems to be completely not a process," the American told reporters in Dubai on Sunday. "It seems to just be whatever decisions and factors they take into consideration, and they just make up their own ruling. "I don't really understand how that's fair for players when there's just so much inconsistency and you have no idea." Pegula added that any emails the players have been receiving regarding anti-doping cases contain explanations that are too easy to come up with, and are just ways for anti-doping organisations to justify their inconsistent rulings and processes. "If you're clean or not, the process is completely broken," she stated. "I think it needs to be seriously looked at and considered." "I feel like they have so much power to ruin someone's career, as well. I think there needs to be something done about that because it just seems really unfair. “I don't think any of the players trust the process at all right now. Zero. It's just a horrible look for the sport." 'Too scared': Sabalenka Sabalenka, meanwhile, refused to comment on the outcome of the Sinner case but said she had become too wary of falling foul of the sport’s strict anti-doping rules. "You just start to be more careful. For example, before I wouldn't care about leaving my glass of water and go to the bathroom in a restaurant. Now, I’m not going to drink from the same glass of water," said the Belarusian world number one. "You just become a bit more aware of stuff and this thing gets to your head that, like, if someone used a cream on you and you test positive, they’re going to go for you and they’re not going to believe you or anything. "You just become too scared of the system. I don’t see how I can trust the system." American world number three Coco Gauff has not paid much attention to the details of the recent anti-doping cases and is instead sticking to her strategy of avoiding any supplements to minimise the risk of testing positive for any banned substance. "I trust that everyone is doing what they can to protect the sport. As a player, that's all I can hope for," said the former US Open champion. "I just hope it's more for the protection of the sport and not just out to, like, get players." Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Sinner’s doping case ban scares Sabalenka; Pegula calls process 'completely broken’

World number one men&rsquo;s tennis player <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/jannik-sinner" rel="dofollow">Jannik Sinner</a> has accepted a three-month ban after reaching a settlement with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) for failing two drug tests last year. Sinner, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tennis/sinner-vs-zverev-australian-open-2025-final-live-score-updates-liveblog-8655167" rel="dofollow">who defended his Australian Open title</a> last month, will remain suspended from February 9 until May 4. The 23-year-old Italian, however, will be eligible to play the next Grand Slam &ndash; the French Open (starting May 19).
Per the latest reports, WADA, on Saturday (Feb 15), released a statement accepting Sinner&rsquo;s explanation that he accidentally came in contact with the banned substance by his physiotherapist. The Tennis body also accepts that Sinner &lsquo;did not intend to cheat&rsquo; and that the drug &lsquo;did not provide any performance-enhancing benefit'; all of this happened &lsquo;without his knowledge as the result of the negligence of members of his entourage.&rsquo;
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tennis/qatar-open-ostapenko-keeps-it-perfect-against-swiatek-to-reach-final-8722602" rel="dofollow">Qatar Open: Ostapenko keeps it perfect against Swiatek to reach final</a>
The statement read, "However, under the code and by virtue of CAS precedent, an athlete bears responsibility for the entourage's negligence. Based on the unique set of facts of this case, a three-month suspension is deemed to be an appropriate outcome."
Responding to it, Sinner&rsquo;s lawyers said, as quoted by the BBC, "This case had been hanging over me for nearly a year, and the process still had a long time to run with a decision maybe only at the end of the year.
"I have always accepted that I am responsible for my team and realise Wada's strict rules are an important protection for the sport I love. On that basis, I have accepted Wada's offer to resolve these proceedings on the basis of a three-month sanction," Sinner said.
<h2>What led to Sinner's ban?</h2>
Sinner was cleared of any wrongdoings earlier by an independent panel after testing positive for a banned substance (used in March 2024). The report states that Sinner was accidentally contaminated by his physiotherapist, who treated a cut on his hand with a spray, which was later found to contain the banned substance.
Besides, the International Tennis Integrity Agency said in August that they found &lsquo;no fault or negligence&rsquo; in Sinner&rsquo;s case for testing positive for low levels of a metabolite of clostebol (a steroid) that can be used in building muscle mass.&nbsp;That, however, led to <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tennis/news-wada-appeals-court-of-arbitration-for-sport-in-jannik-sinner-doping-case-seeks-ban-of-up-to-two-years-762790" rel="dofollow">WADA appealing with CAS</a> (last September), stating that when that independent panel found Sinner of &lsquo;no fault or negligence&rsquo;, it was incorrect under the applicable rules, seeking a ban of between one and two years, with a hearing scheduled on April (16-17).&nbsp;
Following this, Sinner accepted the ban, and the next tournament he can play is the Italian Open, starting May 7.
(With inputs from agencies)

Sports, Tennis: Sinner will remain suspended from February 9 until May 4, though he will be eligible to play the French Open (starting May 19).

World number one men’s tennis player Jannik Sinner has accepted a three-month ban after reaching a settlement with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) for failing two drug tests last year. Sinner, who defended his Australian Open title last month, will remain suspended from February 9 until May 4. The 23-year-old Italian, however, will be eligible to play the next Grand Slam – the French Open (starting May 19). Per the latest reports, WADA, on Saturday (Feb 15), released a statement accepting Sinner’s explanation that he accidentally came in contact with the banned substance by his physiotherapist. The Tennis body also accepts that Sinner ‘did not intend to cheat’ and that the drug ‘did not provide any performance-enhancing benefit'; all of this happened ‘without his knowledge as the result of the negligence of members of his entourage.’ Also read | Qatar Open: Ostapenko keeps it perfect against Swiatek to reach final The statement read, "However, under the code and by virtue of CAS precedent, an athlete bears responsibility for the entourage's negligence. Based on the unique set of facts of this case, a three-month suspension is deemed to be an appropriate outcome." Responding to it, Sinner’s lawyers said, as quoted by the BBC, "This case had been hanging over me for nearly a year, and the process still had a long time to run with a decision maybe only at the end of the year. "I have always accepted that I am responsible for my team and realise Wada's strict rules are an important protection for the sport I love. On that basis, I have accepted Wada's offer to resolve these proceedings on the basis of a three-month sanction," Sinner said. What led to Sinner's ban? Sinner was cleared of any wrongdoings earlier by an independent panel after testing positive for a banned substance (used in March 2024). The report states that Sinner was accidentally contaminated by his physiotherapist, who treated a cut on his hand with a spray, which was later found to contain the banned substance. Besides, the International Tennis Integrity Agency said in August that they found ‘no fault or negligence’ in Sinner’s case for testing positive for low levels of a metabolite of clostebol (a steroid) that can be used in building muscle mass. That, however, led to WADA appealing with CAS (last September), stating that when that independent panel found Sinner of ‘no fault or negligence’, it was incorrect under the applicable rules, seeking a ban of between one and two years, with a hearing scheduled on April (16-17). Following this, Sinner accepted the ban, and the next tournament he can play is the Italian Open, starting May 7. (With inputs from agencies)

Tennis: Jannik Sinner accepts three-month suspension over doping charges

Jannik Sinner leaves Melbourne being talked about as a potential tennis great but first comes a hearing into his doping case at sport's highest court that could see him banned for up to two years.&nbsp;The Italian swept past Alexander Zverev 6-3, 7-6 (7/4), 6-3 on Sunday in a clash of the top seeds to win back-to-back Australian Opens and shore up his status as the runaway world number one.<o:p></o:p>
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tennis/australia-open-2025-winners-prize-money-how-much-jannik-sinner-madison-keys-alexander-zverev-aryna-sabalenka-novak-djokovic-earn-8656391" rel="dofollow">Australia Open 2025 Prize Money: How much did Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev, Madison Keys and Aryna Sabalenka earn?</a>
He also won the US Open last year, fast building a case for greatness. <o:p></o:p>But the 23-year-old's career has been dogged for the past nine months by a major doping scandal that should soon reach its conclusion.<o:p></o:p>
He twice tested positive for traces of the steroid clostebol in March last year but was cleared by an independent tribunal of wrongdoing.<o:p></o:p>
The World Anti-Doping Agency appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and is seeking a ban of up to two years.<o:p></o:p>
The Italian, who denies knowingly doping, will have his hearing on April 16-17.<o:p></o:p>
Sinner says that the drug entered his system when his physio used a spray containing it to treat a cut, then provided massage and sports therapy to the player.<o:p></o:p>
Sinner, who is on a staggering 21-match win streak, said he was clear in himself that he was innocent but has admitted the case is never far from his mind.<o:p></o:p>
One of his two coaches, Darren Cahill, said in Melbourne that "nobody's bulletproof" but that Sinner "deals with it as well as anybody that I've ever seen deal with pressure".<o:p></o:p>
"I think to a large extent he finds playing tennis matches to be his safe place," Cahill added. "That's where he can go and do his thing and feel like this is what he knows, this is what he understands, this is what he's good at. <o:p></o:p>
"It's become a home for him to step on to the court and play tennis."<o:p></o:p>
<h2>Aiming for more<o:p></o:p></h2>
The next Grand Slam of the year is the French Open, which starts in May, a month after the CAS hearing.<o:p></o:p>
Sinner is the undoubted king of hard courts but he has yet to go beyond the semi-finals on the clay of Roland Garros or on the grass of Wimbledon.<o:p></o:p>
"It's for sure one thing I always think about," Sinner said after his latest Australian Open triumph.<o:p></o:p>
"You have to be a complete player, not only one surface, but on also the other two.<o:p></o:p>
"I believe last year was not a bad season at all on clay and also on grass. I can do better, yes, but let's see. <o:p></o:p>
"On hard court I feel more comfortable. I think that we can see," he added after becoming the youngest man to go back-to-back at Melbourne Park since Jim Courier in 1993.<o:p></o:p>
"But I take it as positive because on the other surfaces I still have to improve, I have to see how it works.<o:p></o:p>
"I'm going to put a lot of energy in that, trying to find the right ways, and hopefully to go far also in the other Grand Slams that are not played on hard court."
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Sports, Tennis: Sinner beat Zverev on Sunday in a clash of the top seeds to win back-to-back Australian Opens and shore up his status as the runaway world number one.

Jannik Sinner leaves Melbourne being talked about as a potential tennis great but first comes a hearing into his doping case at sport's highest court that could see him banned for up to two years. The Italian swept past Alexander Zverev 6-3, 7-6 (7/4), 6-3 on Sunday in a clash of the top seeds to win back-to-back Australian Opens and shore up his status as the runaway world number one. Also read | Australia Open 2025 Prize Money: How much did Jannik Sinner, Alexander Zverev, Madison Keys and Aryna Sabalenka earn? He also won the US Open last year, fast building a case for greatness. But the 23-year-old's career has been dogged for the past nine months by a major doping scandal that should soon reach its conclusion. He twice tested positive for traces of the steroid clostebol in March last year but was cleared by an independent tribunal of wrongdoing. The World Anti-Doping Agency appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and is seeking a ban of up to two years. The Italian, who denies knowingly doping, will have his hearing on April 16-17. Sinner says that the drug entered his system when his physio used a spray containing it to treat a cut, then provided massage and sports therapy to the player. Sinner, who is on a staggering 21-match win streak, said he was clear in himself that he was innocent but has admitted the case is never far from his mind. One of his two coaches, Darren Cahill, said in Melbourne that "nobody's bulletproof" but that Sinner "deals with it as well as anybody that I've ever seen deal with pressure". "I think to a large extent he finds playing tennis matches to be his safe place," Cahill added. "That's where he can go and do his thing and feel like this is what he knows, this is what he understands, this is what he's good at. "It's become a home for him to step on to the court and play tennis." Aiming for more The next Grand Slam of the year is the French Open, which starts in May, a month after the CAS hearing. Sinner is the undoubted king of hard courts but he has yet to go beyond the semi-finals on the clay of Roland Garros or on the grass of Wimbledon. "It's for sure one thing I always think about," Sinner said after his latest Australian Open triumph. "You have to be a complete player, not only one surface, but on also the other two. "I believe last year was not a bad season at all on clay and also on grass. I can do better, yes, but let's see. "On hard court I feel more comfortable. I think that we can see," he added after becoming the youngest man to go back-to-back at Melbourne Park since Jim Courier in 1993. "But I take it as positive because on the other surfaces I still have to improve, I have to see how it works. "I'm going to put a lot of energy in that, trying to find the right ways, and hopefully to go far also in the other Grand Slams that are not played on hard court." Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Australian Open 2025: Doping hearing clouds Jannik Sinner’s Melbourne feat

Novak Djokovic on Sunday called for more transparency around doping suspensions in tennis, saying high-ranked players appeared to be treated differently to others. The 24-time Grand Slam champion agreed with Australian Nick Kyrgios, who on Saturday said integrity in the sport was "awful".<o:p></o:p>
They were speaking in the wake of doping violations by world number ones Italian Jannik Sinner and Poland's Iga Swiatek during 2024.<o:p></o:p>
The 37-year-old Djokovic, who will play doubles with Kyrgios at the Brisbane International this week, said there needed to be far greater transparency from the sport's governing bodies around doping violations. And he said that it appeared that top players such as Sinner and Swiatek were being treated differently from those further down the rankings.<o:p></o:p>
"I think Nick has some fair points when it comes to transparency and inconsistency with protocols and case-to-case comparables," the Serbian said. "We have some players who have been waiting for over a year for their case to be resolved, so the issue is the inconsistency and the transparency."<o:p></o:p>
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tennis-integrity-is-awful-nick-kyrgios-on-punishment-for-jannik-sinners-failed-dope-test-8573583" rel="dofollow">&lsquo;Tennis&rsquo; integrity is awful,&rsquo; Kyrgios on punishment for Sinner&rsquo;s failed dope test</a> 
While Djokovic said he believed Sinner when he said he tested positive to the steroid clostebol due to contamination from his physiotherapist, he asserted that the players had been "kept in the dark" throughout the whole process.<o:p></o:p>
"I've been really frustrated, as have most of the other players, that we've been kept in the dark for five months," Djokovic said. "He (Sinner) received the news (of the positive tests) in April and the announcement was not until August, just before the US Open.<o:p></o:p>
"The ATP has not really talked in depth about why they kept that case away from the public.<o:p></o:p>
"Then we had (Simona) Halep's case and Swiatek's case on the WTA Tour and it's not a good look for our sport."<o:p></o:p>
<h2>'It's awful'<o:p></o:p></h2>
Sinner twice tested positive for clostebol in March.<o:p></o:p>
However, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) accepted his argument that the steroid entered his system due to contamination and opted not to suspend him.<o:p></o:p>
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) subsequently appealed the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, with a verdict pending.<o:p></o:p>
Swiatek tested positive for the heart medication trimetazidine (TMZ) in an out-of-competition sample in August when she was ranked number one.<o:p></o:p>
As with Sinner, the ITIA accepted that Swiatek's violation was not intentional and she received only a one-month ban. <o:p></o:p>
In contrast, Halep was handed a four-year ban by the ITIA in 2022 after testing positive for roxadustat.<o:p></o:p>
She argued it was the result of a tainted supplement and successfully appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which reduced her suspension to nine months and she returned to the court in March.<o:p></o:p>
"I'm just questioning the way the system works," said Djokovic. "Why are certain players not treated the same as other players -- maybe there's some ranking reasons behind it, or maybe others have more financial backing behind them or stronger legal teams."<o:p></o:p>
Kyrgios has been scathing about the ITIA decision involving Sinner.<o:p></o:p>
"Tennis integrity right now, and everyone knows it, but no one wants to speak about it -- it's awful," the Australian said on Saturday, adding that said the sport's image was being tarnished.<o:p></o:p>
"I just think that it's been handled horrifically in our sport," said Kyrgios.<o:p></o:p>
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic agreed with Australian Nick Kyrgios, who on Saturday said integrity in the sport was "awful". 

Novak Djokovic on Sunday called for more transparency around doping suspensions in tennis, saying high-ranked players appeared to be treated differently to others. The 24-time Grand Slam champion agreed with Australian Nick Kyrgios, who on Saturday said integrity in the sport was "awful". They were speaking in the wake of doping violations by world number ones Italian Jannik Sinner and Poland's Iga Swiatek during 2024. The 37-year-old Djokovic, who will play doubles with Kyrgios at the Brisbane International this week, said there needed to be far greater transparency from the sport's governing bodies around doping violations. And he said that it appeared that top players such as Sinner and Swiatek were being treated differently from those further down the rankings. "I think Nick has some fair points when it comes to transparency and inconsistency with protocols and case-to-case comparables," the Serbian said. "We have some players who have been waiting for over a year for their case to be resolved, so the issue is the inconsistency and the transparency." Also read | ‘Tennis’ integrity is awful,’ Kyrgios on punishment for Sinner’s failed dope test While Djokovic said he believed Sinner when he said he tested positive to the steroid clostebol due to contamination from his physiotherapist, he asserted that the players had been "kept in the dark" throughout the whole process. "I've been really frustrated, as have most of the other players, that we've been kept in the dark for five months," Djokovic said. "He (Sinner) received the news (of the positive tests) in April and the announcement was not until August, just before the US Open. "The ATP has not really talked in depth about why they kept that case away from the public. "Then we had (Simona) Halep's case and Swiatek's case on the WTA Tour and it's not a good look for our sport." 'It's awful' Sinner twice tested positive for clostebol in March. However, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) accepted his argument that the steroid entered his system due to contamination and opted not to suspend him. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) subsequently appealed the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, with a verdict pending. Swiatek tested positive for the heart medication trimetazidine (TMZ) in an out-of-competition sample in August when she was ranked number one. As with Sinner, the ITIA accepted that Swiatek's violation was not intentional and she received only a one-month ban. In contrast, Halep was handed a four-year ban by the ITIA in 2022 after testing positive for roxadustat. She argued it was the result of a tainted supplement and successfully appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, which reduced her suspension to nine months and she returned to the court in March. "I'm just questioning the way the system works," said Djokovic. "Why are certain players not treated the same as other players -- maybe there's some ranking reasons behind it, or maybe others have more financial backing behind them or stronger legal teams." Kyrgios has been scathing about the ITIA decision involving Sinner. "Tennis integrity right now, and everyone knows it, but no one wants to speak about it -- it's awful," the Australian said on Saturday, adding that said the sport's image was being tarnished. "I just think that it's been handled horrifically in our sport," said Kyrgios. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Tennis: Djokovic calls for more transparency around doping suspensions

Nick Kyrgios lashed out on Saturday at what he believes is the lenient treatment of world tennis number one Italian Jannik Sinner for a failed drug test and said integrity in the sport was "awful". <o:p></o:p>Sinner twice tested positive for the banned steroid clostebol in March.<o:p></o:p>
However, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) accepted his argument that the steroid entered his system due to contamination from his physiotherapist and opted not to suspend him.<o:p></o:p>
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) subsequently appealed the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, with a verdict pending.<o:p></o:p>
Kyrgios has been scathing about the ITIA decision in the past and didn't hold back in a press conference ahead of his return to the game at the Brisbane International after an 18-month injury lay-off.<o:p></o:p>
Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/nba-champions-boston-celtics-snap-two-game-losing-streak-to-beat-indiana-pacers-8572332" rel="dofollow">NBA: Champions Celtics snap two-game losing streak with win over Pacers</a>
"Tennis integrity right now, and everyone knows it, but no one wants to speak about it -- it's awful," said the Australian. "It's actually awful and it's not okay. I know that people don't like it when I just speak out about things, be honest about things.<o:p></o:p>
"For a kid that grew up playing tennis, I enjoyed the competition, I enjoyed playing. <o:p></o:p>
"I can get emotional, I can throw a racquet, but that's nothing compared to cheating and taking performance-enhancing drugs."<o:p></o:p>
<h2>'It's disgusting'<o:p></o:p></h2>
Asked whether he was accusing Sinner of cheating, Kyrgios told journalists to look at the facts.<o:p></o:p>
"He did fail two doping tests at separate times, as well," Kyrgios said. "It wasn't one after the other&nbsp; -- they were a different time frame, so I mean, if you think that that's the way that it got in his system, if that's how you think it's happened, then.<o:p></o:p>
"But, I mean, if he didn't do anything wrong, then why did they take his prize money and points away? Obviously they found something wrong with it."<o:p></o:p>
With former women's world number one Iga Swiatek also having been suspended for a doping violation in 2024, Kyrgios said the sport's image was being tarnished.<o:p></o:p>
"I just think that it's been handled horrifically in our sport," he said. <o:p></o:p>
The ITIA accepted that Swiatek's violation was not intentional and she received only a one-month ban. <o:p></o:p>
"Two world number ones both getting done for doping is disgusting for our sport. It's a horrible look," said Kyrgios, who has been out of the sport since suffering knee and wrist injuries at the 2022 US Open.<o:p></o:p>
Kyrgios has had wrist reconstruction and said while it was a success, he was unsure how the wrist would cope with tournament play.<o:p></o:p>
"I'm just not going to take anything for granted," he said. "I'm going to go out there and play. It's literally going to be a day-by-day symptomatic injury moving forward.<o:p></o:p>
"If I play a long match, jam it the right way, who knows how it's going to pull up the next day. That's the type of injury it is."<o:p></o:p>
Kyrgios's comeback begins against rising French star Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard.
Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Kyrgios has been scathing about the ITIA decision in the past and didn't hold back in a presser ahead of his return at the Brisbane International after an 18-month injury lay-off.

Nick Kyrgios lashed out on Saturday at what he believes is the lenient treatment of world tennis number one Italian Jannik Sinner for a failed drug test and said integrity in the sport was "awful". Sinner twice tested positive for the banned steroid clostebol in March. However, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) accepted his argument that the steroid entered his system due to contamination from his physiotherapist and opted not to suspend him. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) subsequently appealed the decision at the Court of Arbitration for Sport, with a verdict pending. Kyrgios has been scathing about the ITIA decision in the past and didn't hold back in a press conference ahead of his return to the game at the Brisbane International after an 18-month injury lay-off. Also read | NBA: Champions Celtics snap two-game losing streak with win over Pacers "Tennis integrity right now, and everyone knows it, but no one wants to speak about it -- it's awful," said the Australian. "It's actually awful and it's not okay. I know that people don't like it when I just speak out about things, be honest about things. "For a kid that grew up playing tennis, I enjoyed the competition, I enjoyed playing. "I can get emotional, I can throw a racquet, but that's nothing compared to cheating and taking performance-enhancing drugs." 'It's disgusting' Asked whether he was accusing Sinner of cheating, Kyrgios told journalists to look at the facts. "He did fail two doping tests at separate times, as well," Kyrgios said. "It wasn't one after the other -- they were a different time frame, so I mean, if you think that that's the way that it got in his system, if that's how you think it's happened, then. "But, I mean, if he didn't do anything wrong, then why did they take his prize money and points away? Obviously they found something wrong with it." With former women's world number one Iga Swiatek also having been suspended for a doping violation in 2024, Kyrgios said the sport's image was being tarnished. "I just think that it's been handled horrifically in our sport," he said. The ITIA accepted that Swiatek's violation was not intentional and she received only a one-month ban. "Two world number ones both getting done for doping is disgusting for our sport. It's a horrible look," said Kyrgios, who has been out of the sport since suffering knee and wrist injuries at the 2022 US Open. Kyrgios has had wrist reconstruction and said while it was a success, he was unsure how the wrist would cope with tournament play. "I'm just not going to take anything for granted," he said. "I'm going to go out there and play. It's literally going to be a day-by-day symptomatic injury moving forward. "If I play a long match, jam it the right way, who knows how it's going to pull up the next day. That's the type of injury it is." Kyrgios's comeback begins against rising French star Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard. Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

‘Tennis’ integrity is awful,’ Kyrgios on punishment for Sinner’s failed dope test

World number one Jannik Sinner said his off-court turmoil over doping accusations was "heartbreaking", after winning the Davis Cup with Italy on Sunday to complete a stellar year. The 23-year-old won the Australian Open, US Open and ATP Finals before starring for Italy as they claimed a second consecutive Davis Cup triumph, but admitted he is not able to play with a completely clear head.

Sinner is still waiting for the outcome of the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) appeal against his initial exoneration for twice testing positive for traces of the steroid clostebol in March.

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tennis/news-davis-cup-organisers-hit-back-on-rafael-nadal-retirement-ceremony-critics-778941">Davis Cup organisers hit back on Rafael Nadal retirement ceremony critics</a>

"Of course it's in the head a little bit," said Sinner. "The most important part is all the people who are around me, who know me as a human being trust me -- that's also why I kept playing the level I have.

"Those who know me, I was emotionally a bit down, a bit heartbroken. Sometimes life gives you difficulties and you just have to (deal with) it."

After Italy defeated the Netherlands in the final, Dutch captain Paul Haarhuis said from the outside the doping case against Sinner was impossible to analyse.

"About doping, we never know what happened," said Haarhuis. "What's my feeling? Jannik is an unbelievable nice guy, a great player, but we never know what happened."

Sinner prevously told the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) that small quantities of clostebol found in his system were due to "contamination by a member of his staff who had applied an over-the-counter spray containing clostebol on his own hand to treat a small wound".

The ITIA accepted Sinner's claim and he escaped a lengthy ban, but WADA appealed and is demanding a suspension of one to two years.

Sinner became the first player since 20-time Grand Slam winning Swiss great Roger Federer in 2005 to go through a season without a defeat in straight sets.

The Italian defeated Netherlands' Tallon Griekspoor in the second singles rubber to clinch the Davis Cup, after Matteo Berrettini beat Botic van de Zandschulp in the opener.

"Coming back as defending champions and winning again is one of the best feelings," said Sinner. "I'm very happy and glad that we managed this. The whole team, we gave 100 percent, there's a lot of work behind the scenes which all of you cannot see."

Berrettini had a superb tournament, winning once in doubles against Argentina in the last eight and singles rubbers against Australia and Netherlands.

The 2021 Wimbledon runner-up hailed Sinner's performance over the season, since he inspired Italy to glory a year ago.

"It's a special experience (to watch Sinner)... last year when we were here we were looking in each other's eyes and saying that this guy is someone else, something different," said Berrettini. "We'd never seen someone hitting the ball so hard, so flat, since then he's lost six matches and as you can see he's the most humble guy on the planet."

Disclaimer:&nbsp;This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

World number one Jannik Sinner said his off-court turmoil over doping accusations was "heartbreaking", after winning the Davis Cup with Italy on Sunday to complete a stellar year.

World number one Jannik Sinner said his off-court turmoil over doping accusations was "heartbreaking", after winning the Davis Cup with Italy on Sunday to complete a stellar year. The 23-year-old won the Australian Open, US Open and ATP Finals before starring for Italy as they claimed a second consecutive Davis Cup triumph, but admitted he is not able to play with a completely clear head. Sinner is still waiting for the outcome of the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) appeal against his initial exoneration for twice testing positive for traces of the steroid clostebol in March. ALSO READ: Davis Cup organisers hit back on Rafael Nadal retirement ceremony critics "Of course it's in the head a little bit," said Sinner. "The most important part is all the people who are around me, who know me as a human being trust me -- that's also why I kept playing the level I have. "Those who know me, I was emotionally a bit down, a bit heartbroken. Sometimes life gives you difficulties and you just have to (deal with) it." After Italy defeated the Netherlands in the final, Dutch captain Paul Haarhuis said from the outside the doping case against Sinner was impossible to analyse. "About doping, we never know what happened," said Haarhuis. "What's my feeling? Jannik is an unbelievable nice guy, a great player, but we never know what happened." Sinner prevously told the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) that small quantities of clostebol found in his system were due to "contamination by a member of his staff who had applied an over-the-counter spray containing clostebol on his own hand to treat a small wound". The ITIA accepted Sinner's claim and he escaped a lengthy ban, but WADA appealed and is demanding a suspension of one to two years. Sinner became the first player since 20-time Grand Slam winning Swiss great Roger Federer in 2005 to go through a season without a defeat in straight sets. The Italian defeated Netherlands' Tallon Griekspoor in the second singles rubber to clinch the Davis Cup, after Matteo Berrettini beat Botic van de Zandschulp in the opener. "Coming back as defending champions and winning again is one of the best feelings," said Sinner. "I'm very happy and glad that we managed this. The whole team, we gave 100 percent, there's a lot of work behind the scenes which all of you cannot see." Berrettini had a superb tournament, winning once in doubles against Argentina in the last eight and singles rubbers against Australia and Netherlands. The 2021 Wimbledon runner-up hailed Sinner's performance over the season, since he inspired Italy to glory a year ago. "It's a special experience (to watch Sinner)... last year when we were here we were looking in each other's eyes and saying that this guy is someone else, something different," said Berrettini. "We'd never seen someone hitting the ball so hard, so flat, since then he's lost six matches and as you can see he's the most humble guy on the planet." Disclaimer: This story has been published from a news agency feed with minimal edits to adhere to WION's style guide. The headline may have been changed to better reflect the content of the story or to make it more suitable for WION audience.

Tennis: Italy’s Davis Cup winner Jannik Sinner ‘heartbroken’ over doping accusations