“Tennis great Lindsay Davenport has weighed in on the controversy surrounding Jannik Sinner’s failed anti-doping tests, expressing shock at the handling of the Italian player’s case. Sinner, who recently secured his second Grand Slam title at the 2024 US Open, faced scrutiny after testing positive for low levels of clostebol, a banned anabolic steroid, on March 10 and 18 during and after the Indian Wells Masters. Despite receiving automatic provisional suspensions for each test, Sinner was allowed to continue competing after appealing to an independent tribunal.
Davenport, a three-time Grand Slam champion, believes Sinner should have faced stiffer consequences, stating that he ‘had to bear the consequences’ for the failed tests. The controversy has sparked debate about fairness in tennis, with some arguing that Sinner’s ability to continue playing was unfair to other competitors.
The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) ruled that Sinner bore ‘no fault or negligence’ in the matter, but the incident has left many in the tennis world stunned and searching for answers.”
