Serbian tennis star Novak Djokovic sees the doping case for competitor Jannik Sinner as far from being completely over, despite his suspension. “This cloud will haunt him like the cloud with Covid will haunt me,” said the record Grand Slam winner in an interview with British journalist Piers Morgan.
Sinner (24) tested positive in March 2024. The Italian had stated that the banned drug Clostebol had entered his body through the hands of a carer during a massage. In the end, Sinner got off with a three-month ban. He returned strongly to the tour and is currently playing at the ATP Finals in Turin.
“So many red flags”
“When that happened, I was shocked – honestly,” said Djokovic: “I don’t think he did it on purpose. But the way the whole case was handled – there are so many red flags.”
Already after the punishment was announced, Djokovic criticized the anti-doping fight in tennis as inconsistent and unfair: “It seems as if you can almost influence the result if you are a top player and have access to the best lawyers.”
Djokovic (38) can understand what it’s like to be in the middle of a controversy. He himself was a political issue during the corona pandemic because he initially did not get vaccinated against the virus. Shortly before the Australian Open 2022 in Melbourne, his visa was declared invalid in court. After being placed in a deportation hotel, he was finally expelled and was not allowed to take part in the Grand Slam tournament.