Andrey Rublev lamented the conditions surrounding Jannik Sinner’s doping ban after crashing out of the French Open to the world No. 1. The Italian comfortably prevailed 6-1 6-3 6-4 to set up a quarter-final with Jack Draper’s conqueror Alexander Bublik.
The Paris major is the first Grand Slam that Sinner has competed in since serving a three-month suspension. He accepted a ban following lengthy discussions with World Anti-Doping Agency officials, with the Italian taking his punishment between the Australian and French Opens and returning at the Italian Open last month.
Several calls, led by Nick Kyrgios, demanded that Sinner face a longer sentence after testing positive for the banned substance Clostebol at Indian Wells last year. More transparency in how cases were handled was also a big topic of discussion.
Rublev echoed those concerns, which had simmered at Roland Garros, explaining that there was a clear difference in how governing bodies handled previous cases compared to that of the world No. 1.
“In general, it’s not even a question of Jannik’s case specifically,” he told BB Tennis. “It’s more that the system of doping detecting itself is probably wrong.
“You can’t even make a small mistake, take Russian guys for example. Or take others like [Jenson] Brooksby and [Mikael] Ymer. They were suspended because they simply missed the doping test three times.
“It was not a question of positive or negative test. They forgot to fill out the doping forms and therefore missed it three times. As a result they were suspended for two years without trial. It was truly a harsh decision.
“In Sinner’s case, they did everything quickly. They allowed him to play during the investigation. In contrast, we have the [Simona] Halep’s case, how long did she wait for the investigation to start? She couldn’t play for a year or something. That’s the problem, it should not be that way in my opinion.”
Halep’s case took nearly two years to resolve after she tested positive for a banned substance in August 2022. She maintained her innocence throughout and appealed the ban at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in 2024. It was ruled that “on the balance of probabilities” she had not taken roxadustat intentionally, and her suspension was reduced to nine months.
Novak Djokovic claimed that “a majority of the players don’t feel that it’s fair,” and that access to top lawyers because of top stars’ status “can almost affect the outcome.”
His Professional Tennis Players’ Association believes that there is a lack of transparency in the current system, saying: “It’s time for change.”
Five-time major champion Iga Swiatek also received a one-month suspension last year after testing positive for heart medication trimetazidine.
Content Source: www.express.co.uk