Does Sinner’s Three-Month Doping Suspension Demonstrate the Inconsistencies in the Anti-Doping System?

Jannik Sinner, winner of last month’s Australian Open, has been suspended from all tennis tournaments from 9 February until 4 May. In March 2024, Sinner tested positive for traces of clostebol, after being contaminated by a spray used by his physio to treat a cut on his hand. Clostebol is a steroid that can be used to build muscle mass. He reached an agreement with the WADA (The World Anti-Doping Agency) which accepted that he “did not intend to cheat.” 

He had to withdraw from the Qatar Open ATP 500 and will not be able to play in the Masters 1000 tournaments in Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo and Madrid. The next tournament he can play in is on his home turf at the Italian Open, starting three days after his suspension on 7 May. The Italian Masters serves as a good preparation tournament for the French Open, which is also played on a clay court. He will also be able to play again at the year’s next Grand Slam, the French Open, starting on 19 May, meaning that the ban will, in the words of Liam Broady, impact on his tennis career “as little as possible.” 

This has divided the tennis world, provoking questions as to the fairness of Sinner’s ban, the inconsistencies of the anti-doping system, and whether or not other tennis players would have been treated the same. 

Some players have been quick to defend the Italian’s side. For example, British Number One Jack Draper commented: “I know Jannik. He’s a good friend, and I know that with this whole thing, I’m sure he wouldn’t have done anything intentional.” Draper was quickly shunned by Nick Kygrios, who clapped back in seven-words: “Then don’t have steroids in your systems?”

Many more players have expressed their discontent with the outcome. Former British Number One Tim Henman has commented on the convenience of his ban: “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.” 

The 23-year-old has not been the only top player in the world to have recently been suspended over doping cases. In November 2024, while Iga Swiatek was world Number One, she served a one-month suspension after testing positive for the banned substance trimetazidine (TMZ). 

Novak Djokovic, 24-time Grand Slam winner, has made comments on the anti-doping system, feeling their bans have not been 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 a top lawyer.”  

Retired two-time Grand Slam winner Halep’s suspension has been among one of the most controversial doping bans in tennis. Halep received a four-year ban in 2022 that was reduced to nine months after testing positive for the blood-boosting drug Roxadustat. She was banned from tennis for an extended time while waiting for a verdict on her doping case. In contrast, the time taken to hear Sinner and Swiatek’s cases were significantly shorter. 

Halep said: “I think it is clear that it was judged in a completely different way to my case and I don’t believe that is fair at all.” This has led to the questioning of whether tennis players have been treated differently for their doping cases. 

There have been differences in the cases of Halep compared to Sinner and Swiatek. While Halep was unable to prove straightaway why she had tested positive, Sinner and Swiatek were able to quickly provide evidence of the origin of their contamination. 

Sinner is currently the world Number One with the highest ATP ranking points of 11,830, followed by Germany’s Alexander Zverev with 8,135 points and Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz with 7,510. Therefore, it is unlikely that Zverev and Alcaraz will threaten to take over Sinner’s Number One status in the rankings before the French Open.

Image from Wkimedia Commons