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Novak Djokovic says a majority of tennis players have lost faith in the anti-doping authorities following Jannik Sinner’s three-month ban, and there’s a widespread feeling that ‘favouritism’ is being shown to the biggest stars.
The 24-time major winner called on the World Anti-Doping Agency and the International Tennis Integrity Agency to overhaul their processes for dealing with doping cases ‘because the system and the structure obviously doesn’t work.’
“Right now there is a lack of trust generally from the tennis players, both male and female, toward WADA and ITIA and the whole process,” Djokovic said at the Qatar Open.
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“A majority of the players that I’ve talked to in the locker room are not happy with the way this whole process [for Sinner] has been handled.
“They don’t feel that it’s fair. A majority of the players feel like there is favouritism happening,” he added.
Sinner’s explanation for the positive test was that trace amounts of Clostebol in his doping sample was due to a massage from a trainer who used the substance after cutting his own finger, which WADA accepted.
Sinner had been scheduled to play in Qatar before accepting the ban. The positive tests weren’t publicly revealed until August because Sinner successfully appealed against being provisionally banned from playing. He then won the U.S. Open in September and the Australian Open in January.
Two
No. of Slams Sinner won since testing positive in Aug 2024
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