Home
Jannik Sinner has finally opened up on criticism he faced following the whole doping saga, which resulted in him receiving a 3-month ban. Sinner's case attracted the attention of the whole Tennis world, and reactions from current and ex-players piled up. Subsequently, the undisputed GOATS of the game, Serena Williams and Novak Djokovic, also rendered their two cents on the subject.
Also Read | Iga Swiatek achieves a historic feat after Madrid Open QF run, joins elite five-time Grand Slam legend
What Serena Williams and Novak Djokovic Had Commented on Jannik Sinner's Case?
The 23-time Grand Slam winner, Serena Williams, was quick to point out that the penalty Jannik Sinner has received is nowhere close to what she might have endured had she committed something of the sort.
The American stated "I love the guy, I love his game," before adding, “If I did that (failed the tests), I would have gotten 20 years. Let’s be honest. I would have gotten Grand Slams taken away from me.”
Similarly, Djokovic – one of the founders of the Professional Tennis Players Association – stated that not all players in the locker room were happy with the resolution of Sinner's case. “There’s a majority of the players that I’ve talked to in the locker room, not just in the last few days, but also last few months, that are not happy with the way this whole process (for Sinner) has been handled.”
Also Read | Iga Swiatek shares an interesting angle about Madrid Open power outage: "Honestly, I just..."
Jannik Sinner's Reply
As Jannik Sinner has almost served the suspension period, he is gunning to make a return at the Rome Open, in front of the home crowd. After remaining away from the public eye for quite some time, the Italian has finally returned to the forefront and made his presence felt by reverting to the comments made by Williams and Djokovic.
“Everyone is free to say what they want,” Sinner told TG1. “Everyone can judge but that’s okay. I mean, for me it’s important that I know about what happened but above all, also what I went through and it was very difficult.
“So I really don’t wish that on anyone to go through something like that as an innocent because it was not easy. But we live in a world where everyone can say what they want, so that’s okay.”
Jannik Sinner's suspension will culminate on May 4, 2025, and the Rome Open is scheduled to begin on May 7. Thus, the World No.1 will return to the office. Will he continue from where he left off or there is no such thing as a poetic comeback? Interesting times ahead.
ADVERTISEMENT
