Jimmy Connors believes tennis would not "survive" if Jannik Sinner were banned following doping controversy
ATP
Former World No.1 Jimmy Connors has voiced his opinion on the controversy surrounding the doping allegations against tennis superstar Jannik Sinner, saying the sport would take a major hit if the Italian were to be handed a ban.
It was revealed in August that Sinner had tested positive for Clostebol, a banned substance, during Indian Wells earlier this year. However, the Italian appealed, arguing the substance had infiltrated his body after receiving a massage from his ex-physiotherapist. Subsequently, Sinner was cleared by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), sparking a debate as many believed he wad received a lenient treatment.
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Connors states tennis would be worse off with a Sinner ban
On the latest episode of his Advantage Connors podcast, the retired American pro admitted he had seen several lower-ranked players banned for violating the anti-doping policy. However, Connors believes tennis would not survive if Sinner were handed a ban.
"I am not so close to it that I understand just what a grain of salt of that does," began Connors. " And to be honest, that’s not my style to be a part of that. Listen, all I know is that I don’t think tennis at that level could survive that to hit a top player. They have shown in the past that they are not afraid to hit lower ranked players and discard them from the game. But I don’t know if tennis at that level could take it."
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Furthermore, Connors would go on to suggest that playing tennis served as a distraction for Sinner during the trying period.
"It’s his escape," added Connors. "Once he is out on that court he has too much to think about. His own game, his opponent. He knows what it is going to take to win. But what do you do for the other 20 hours over the rest of the day?"
Growing up in a household where soccer was king, my earliest memories are filled with chants from packed stadiums and the rhythm of a ball being passed across neighborhood streets. But somewhere along the way, the quiet elegance and raw emotion of tennis pulled me in. What began as a curiosity became a lifelong passion; not just for the sport itself, but for the stories it tells: of grit, of heartbreak, of improbable comebacks and human resilience.
As a tennis writer, I bring the observational lens of someone who didn’t grow up in the sport, but fell in love with it as an outsider; a perspective that lets me see both its technical beauty and its emotional depth. Over the years working with TennisUpToDate, I’ve had the privilege of reaching more than 3.5 million readers worldwide, with one of my features ranking among the site’s top three articles.
With a background in storytelling and a creative mind always searching for meaning beyond the scoreboard, I aim to craft narratives that go deeper than results and rankings. Whether it’s a rising star breaking through or a veteran fighting off Father Time, I try to capture the heartbeat behind the headlines.
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