"Not really a good sign for tennis in general": Carlos Alcaraz 'surprised' by WADA’s appeal in Jannik Sinner’s doping case

Carlos Alcaraz was surprised by the World Anti-Doping Agency’s appeal in Jannik Sinner’s case. This week, it was revealed that WADA appealed the verdict from the ITIA (International Tennis Integrity Agency) and is seeking a suspension of between 1 and 2 years for the 2-time Grand Slam champion.

The Italian player was previously found innocent and has repeatedly declared his innocence and willingness to cooperate in the investigations. Sinner is currently competing in the China Open, as is Alcaraz, with both players having reached the quarterfinals and as the main favorites to meet in a potential final.

Nearly six months passed from the time Sinner was informed of his doping violation until the news was made public, after his appeal was accepted and he avoided suspension. The case sent shockwaves through the tennis world, with several players (including Nick Kyrgios and Denis Shapovalov) accusing special treatment for the world No. 1.

Sinner tested positive for Clostebol twice in March this year while competing at Indian Wells. The ITIA's investigation determined that the amount was negligible and did not affect Sinner's performance, and that the contamination was unintentional. It occurred after his physiotherapist applied the substance to his hands to treat cuts, and without gloves, he treated Sinner. The 23-year-old player was contaminated through small cuts on his legs, allowing Clostebol to enter his system.

Alcaraz was asked about Sinner’s case during a press conference after his victory in Beijing. The Spaniard easily defeated Tallon Griekspoor (6-1, 6-2) and advanced to the quarterfinals, where he will face 7th seed Karen Khachanov. The 4-time Grand Slam champion expressed support for Sinner, as he does not believe the Italian's contamination was intentional, although he admitted that WADA's appeal does not send a good message for tennis.

"Well, yeah, as you said, it's really sensitive things to Jannik and tennis in general. I mean, after everything was decided, let's say, before Cincinnati, that the ITIA said that Jannik Sinner didn’t do anything wrong, and now, it is open again. I think for tennis, it's not really good, not really a good sign for tennis in general," Carlos Alcaraz said.

"It seems like something happened. But, you know, after one month, let's say, I thought it was closed, that nothing was going to happen again, Jannik is innocent, and they saw that Jannik didn’t do anything wrong. So I started thinking about it and started thinking about myself," he added.

"This month, I didn’t know what happened exactly. I just saw the news, and it surprised me a little bit. Okay, what's going on that the case is open again? I don’t know how it’s going to be in the next months. For sure, for tennis, it’s not a good sign," Alcaraz said.