Grand Slam champions Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek’s high-profile doping cases are deemed to be “disgusting” for the tennis industry, as stated by Nick Kyrgios.
The Italian men’s world number one Jannik Sinner remains at risk of potential suspension after he tested positive for an anabolic steroid twice last March. Despite the positive test results, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) cleared him of any wrongdoing. However, the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) filed an appeal, and the issue was taken to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Moreover, Swiatek, the world number one in women’s tennis, was suspended for one month after testing positive for a prohibited cardiac drug. The athlete agreed to a one-month ban that ended on December 4 after the ITIA acknowledged that the reason for her positive trimetazidine (TMZ) test was contamination of the regulated over-the-counter drug melatonin.
In view of this, Kyrgios said: “Two world number ones both getting done for doping is disgusting for our sport… It’s a horrible look.”
The Australian athlete added: “I just think that it’s been handled horrifically in our sport… The tennis integrity right now, and everyone knows it but no one wants to speak about it, is awful.. It’s not okay. I know that people don’t like it when I just speak out about things, to be honest about things.”
Kyrgios’ return to the sport
After missing 18 months due to injury since competing in the Stuttgart Open in June 2023, Australian Nick Kyrgios is now preparing for his competitive comeback at the Brisbane International.
Source: BBC