Handling of Jannik Sinner's doping case 'harms tennis', says Stan Wawrinka

Switzerland’s Stan Wawrinka believes that the way Italy’s Jannik Sinner’s doping case has been handle has harmed the sports. The 23-year-old’s doping case has been under discussion ever since an agreement between him and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) for a three-month suspension for failing two dope tests for clostebol in March last year.

In the early stages, the reigning world number one managed to escape any ban as The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) declared him innocent following a detailed hearing where his counsel claimed that the substance was available in the player’s sample because he came in close contact with his physio Naldi who used to spray for the treatment of a cut on his finger.

However, things turned ugly when WADA appealed against the ITIA’s decision in the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and demanded a two-year ban for the three-time Grand Slam winner. The matter concluded in February when the two reached an agreement. Following that agreement, the former world number one, Serbia’s Novak Djokovic, stated that there is a growing consensus in the locker room that rules are not applied equally to everyone.

One of the players, who at that time expressed their dissatisfaction over the verdict, was Wawrinka. The 40-year-old, who has won three Grand Slams in his career, has now spoken to Eurosport France, where he once again highlighted his concerns about how the whole case was handled. He was of the opinion that, because of the way the case has been handled, it has harmed the sport.

“We have seen it in several cases in recent years. Some have been suspended for two years because they forgot to properly report their address,” he said. “It has been handled in a way that I believe harms tennis because, in the end, you wonder what battle you are trying to win. Whether you are really looking for players who test positive or if it all comes down to having a good lawyer who can get you out in the best possible way.”