"You should be innocent until proven guilty" - Grand Slam legend believes there is enough transparency behind doping cases in tennis

With the 2025 Australian Open only a few days away, fans will not have long to wait to watch their favorite stars compete for the first Grand Slam title of the season.

However, there will be some increased scrutiny over certain superstars, namely Italian Jannik Sinner and Poland's Iga Swiatek. Both athletes were sanctioned for violating ATP and WTA doping regulations respectively, with Sinner having to give up prize money whereas Swiatek was suspended for one month.

Read also

“Suspension may be coming”: Former doubles legendary player casts doubt about Jannik Sinner’s future ahead of Australian Open

Tennis is handling this the right way, says Woodbridge

Although both Sinner and Swiatek were absolved of wrongdoing and given light sentences, several fans and even tennis athletes believe the duo were treated leniently due to their superstar status. However, 16-time doubles Grand Slam titlist Todd Woodbridge is of the opinion that the punishment for both athletes was fair.

"One of the great positives to come out of those cases is that our sport is dealing with them properly,” the Australian told select media. “There was so much negativity about Simona Halep’s process and how long it took (more than a year).

"But that has been fixed. You should be innocent until proven guilty. Sinner and Swiatek were able to show the cause and the effect, and it has allowed everybody to get back to normal.”

Furthermore, Woodbridge believes Sinner's main focus should be on defending his Australian Open title, a task which will be difficult considering he will have a huge target on his back.

"He is the best player in the world right now and been the most consistent," said Woodbridge. "But he hasn’t defended a Slam title yet. It is different mentally. Great players like Novak look at it as a singular new tournament rather than a title-defense. That’s what Sinner has to contemplate”.

Subscribe to our Newsletter

Unlock your ultimate tennis experience—subscribe today for exclusive access to top stories.

Subscribe