"You are responsible for everything you put into your body": Former world number 10 calls Jannik Sinner 'lucky' for escaping doping ban

French tennis player Lucas Pouille believes that the world number one Jannik Sinner has been ‘lucky’ to escape a ban despite testing positive in two doping tests. The 23-year-old is already regarded as one of the best players currently playing in men’s tennis in the singles category along with the likes of Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz and Serbia’s Novak Djokovic.

Sinner has been going through a tough time in the recent past. He tested positive for the banned substance clostebol on two occasions but narrowly managed to escape a ban. The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), in a detailed statement, announced that they accepted the player’s counsel’s response where they claimed that the availability of the banned substance in the player’s sample was because of receiving cream from a member of the coaching staff.

Last Saturday, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) announced that they have lodged an appeal against the verdict in the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Their statement mentioned that the World Anti-Doping Agency wants a ‘one or two-year suspension’ for the player. Former world number 10 Pouille was quoted in a report by Tennis 365 where he expressed his opinion about the most discussed development in men’s tennis. The 30-year-old was of the opinion that Sinner has been ‘lucky’ to avoid a ban. He was of the opinion that there has been a double standard while dealing with a case which involved the reigning world number one.

“I think we’re lost with the different entities,” said Pouille. “Beyond all the medical authorities, the tennis circuit already has the ATP, the ITF, the Grand Slams and the WTA. Jannik Sinner was cleared by an independent tribunal. Now, it’s the WADA that is appealing. Once again, it’s going in all directions. We don’t really know what’s going on. Are there double standards? I would say yes. He was cleared, good for him. I don’t think he took anything intentionally. He’s a player I really liked, who I loved watching play, but for me, when you sign the anti-doping papers, you are responsible for everything you put into your body. It’s not a small product. So yes, what he had in his body was tiny… but still lucky, I want to say.”