“Jannik's situation was very similar and the results were totally different": Nicolas Jarry fires shots over Sinner’s doping case

Nicolas Jarry spoke about the difficult period of mental health he went through in 2024 after months without winning a match due to vestibular neuronitis. He also recalled his doping suspension, comparing it to Jannik Sinner's case. The 2024 Rome Open finalist was at the best moment of his career after reaching his first Masters 1000 final, but he suffered from an ear condition that affected his balance, leading to a string of losses for months.

The Chilean has been through complicated moments in his career. He had his ascent on the Tour back in 2018, reaching the top 40 for the first time. A year later, he won his first professional title and seemed poised to establish himself among the world's best at just 22 years old. However, a doping suspension followed in a memorable case that severely affected the South American's career.

His case resonated during the controversy over Sinner's doping, which Jarry noted had similarities to his own case but with different determinations from the authorities. Jarry was off the court for 11 months, losing a good portion of his ranking points, while Sinner emerged unscathed without a suspension, at least initially.

It's worth remembering that when Sinner's case became known, he did not face a suspension and continued to compete regularly for the rest of the year. The three-month suspension for the Italian came a few months later, by agreement with the World Anti-Doping Agency, which had announced an appeal. Sinner decided to accept the three-month suspension to end the case and avoid a new trial.

In early 2019, the ITF announced that Jarry had been provisionally suspended for testing positive for Lindafrol and Stanozolol, two prohibited anabolic substances. Jarry claimed the substances came from cross-contamination but could not return to the court until the case was resolved.

Three months later, it was determined that there was no "significant fault or negligence" in Jarry's contamination, and he was sanctioned for 11 months after proving that the substances originated in a Brazilian laboratory that produced his vitamins. The Chilean lost almost all of his ranking points and fell out of the top 1000.

"I have always said it. In the end, I would have liked to have the same treatment because Jannik's situation was very similar and the results were totally different," he said. "The time and speed with which decisions were made and the support I had from the ATP and other media were not the same as I had."

It took him a couple of years to regain his position in the rankings. By February 2023, he was finally able to return to the top 100 in the midst of a great season in which he won two titles in Santiago and Geneva. He managed to finish the year at No. 19—his best ranking so far—and in 2024, he reached his best ranking of No. 16 after reaching the final in Rome.

Jarry's return to the top level had taken several years of his career, but he had established himself in the top 20 again and looked to have a chance to continue growing after a great start to the year. Then came vestibular neuronitis, a disorder characterized by a sudden and intense vertigo attack caused by inflammation of the vestibular nerve, the branch of the 8th cranial nerve that helps control balance. He had a seven-match losing streak, missed several tournaments, and only managed four wins in his next 15 matches of the year.

"It was very difficult, the worst semester of my life. There were doctors who said that this would be quick and that in three weeks I would be ready. Then they said one month, three months, four, and always with a false uncertainty. The peak was at the US Open, where many doctors said I would be fine by then, but the match came and I was still very unwell," he said.

"When I returned to Chile, I entered into depression. I didn't feel like getting out of bed and I had to talk to my psychiatrist to start taking something that would help me. I still went to the Davis Cup in China, and I had the support of [Nicolas] Massu (the captain of the Chilean Davis Cup team), who understood that I was not in a good place.

“The doctor understood the issue very well and was one of the few who told me from the beginning to be patient and that it could be long, and that's how it has been. From there, I began to approach that last quarter of the year in another way, trying to have a good time despite knowing that I could go all that time without winning a match. I learned to enjoy tennis more; it was a lesson that I value a lot and that stays with me today," the Chilean added.