"I hope he is going to be okay": Jack Draper backs Jannik Sinner after receiving severe criticism following agreement with WADA for three-month suspension

Britain’s tennis star Jack Draper has come out in support of Italy’s Jannik Sinner after being banned for failed doping tests. The 23-year-old, who is widely regarded as one of the best players currently playing in women’s tennis in the singles category, has been in the news for wrong reasons despite achieving some incredible results on the court during the last 12 months.

Sinner tested positive for banned substance clostebol in two doping tests in March last year but miraculously managed to escape any ban. 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 one member of the coaching staff had received a cream for the treatment of an injury.

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Things turned ugly for the world number one in October last year when it was announced that the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) appealed against the ITIA’s verdict in the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and demanded a two-year ban for the three-time Grand Slam winner. However, the issue finally came to a conclusion on Saturday as WADA announced that they had reached an agreement with Sinner, which will result in the player remaining out of action for three months.

Ever since the news broke out of the agreement between WADA and Sinner, the reigning world number one has been severely criticised for using his power to get away with minimal punishment. However, Britain’s young tennis star, Draper, has recently spoken to Sky Sports, where he backed the three-time Grand Slam winner to come back to the court soon and start producing the goods. Draper also stated that in his opinion, it is not a good thing for sport that the best player in the world is facing a three-month ban.

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“Yea I know Jannik is a good friend and I know that with this whole thing, I am sure he wouldn’t have done anything intentionally,” he said. “But obviously, that’s the sport and we have to be accountable for what’s going in our bodies. Yea, he is obviously banned now for few months. I don’t think that’s good for tennis. I don’t think it’s good for sport that the number one player in the world and someone who is doing incredible things is having a ban but you know he will be back shortly and I wish him all the best. I hope he is going to be okay.”

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