With Jannik Sinner being spared a ban after testing positive for a prohibited substance, athlete Novak Djokovic has advocated for clearer protocols and a more standardized approach regarding tennis doping allegations.
Given the lifted suspension, some players have felt that Sinner has received special treatment from the authorities. Djokovic said: “I understand the frustration of the players is there because of a lack of consistency… As I understood, his case was cleared the moment basically it was announced. But I think five or six months have passed since the news was brought to him and his team.”
He added: “So, yeah, there are a lot of issues in the system… We see a lack of standardized and clear protocols. I can understand the sentiments of a lot of players that are questioning whether they are treated the same… Hopefully the governing bodies of our sport will be able to learn from this case and have a better approach for the future. I think collectively there has to be a change.”
In March, the top-ranked athlete Sinner tested positive twice for the muscle-building drug clostebol. Physiotherapist Giacomo Naldi unintentionally infected Sinner with the chemical, according to the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), which cleared the Italian of any wrongdoing or negligence.
Commenting on the issue, Djokovic said: “Many players – without naming any of them – have had similar or pretty much the same cases, where they haven’t had the same outcome… Now the question is whether it is a case of the funds, whether a player can afford to pay a significant amount of money for a law firm that would then more efficiently represent his or her case.”
Despite the issue, Sinner will start as the top seed at the US Open.
Source: BBC