On Saturday, WADA confirmed that Sinner had accepted a three-month period of ineligibility, running from February 9 to May 4, with Sinner credit for four days he previously served in provisional suspensions.
It brought an end to the Italian’s drawn-out doping case. But some players were outraged. Kyrgios – who has been outspoken throughout Sinner’s doping saga – made multiple posts about the outcome. “Guilty or not? Sad day for tennis. Fairness in tennis does not exist,” he wrote in one tweet.
A few hours later, the Aussie posted: “So you were innocent and we were getting fed that you were innocent but now you are suspended from playing the sport? Make it make sense. I’ve got multiple players in my DM’s on how putrid this is even Grand slam champions. Cooked.”
Wawrinka also got involved, reposting Piers Morgan’s comments on the suspension and tweeting: “I don’t believe in a clean sport anymore …”
Vavassori has now slammed his colleagues, suggesting many haven’t read up on the facts of the case. “I think there is a lot of ignorance,” the US Open mixed doubles champion told Gazzetta dello Sport.
“Because too many give judgments without having been informed, without knowing. Once you have found that it is not a case of doping but of negligence on the part of a team member. Can you count two horns?
“For us Italians, knowledge of the official issue is complete. But abroad, few have had the will to inform themselves, many base their judgments on partial or distorted news.”
The doubles No. 8 also claimed some weren’t interested in learning about Sinner’s case or the anti-doping codes. He continued: “Ignorance is really annoying.
“You can see that many tennis players, I say this without offence, have not attended studies much and therefore are not able to understand what they read.”
Sharing his public support for Sinner, Vavassori added: “I knew him as a person, and I was always 100 per cent sure that he had done nothing wrong. The lack of empathy from tennis players and many people on social media is disappointing.”
Sinner twice tested positive for the prohibited substance clostebol last March but was able to continue playing because he successfully appealed both of his provisional suspensions.
In August, the International Tennis Integrity Agency confirmed that an independent panel ruled Sinner “bore no fault or negligence” for the anti-doping violations as he explained he was unknowingly contaminated via his then-physio.
However, WADA appealed on the basis that Sinner had some responsibility for a team member’s negligence. The appeal was set to be heard at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in April but WADA and Sinner came to an agreement.
In a statement, WADA said: “Notwithstanding this appeal, the circumstances surrounding this specific case meant that in order to ensure a fair and appropriate outcome, WADA was prepared to enter into a settlement agreement.”
The body also confirmed that they believed Sinner “did not intend to cheat, and that his exposure to clostebol did not provide any performance-enhancing benefit and took place without his knowledge as the result of negligence of members of his entourage.”
Content Source: www.express.co.uk