Serena Williams believes that she would have had the book thrown at her if she returned an adverse drugs test like Jannik Sinner. Men’s No. 1 Sinner is coming to the end of a three-month ban after twice testing positive for banned anabolic steroid Clostebol in 2024.
Sinner and his team argued that the trace amounts found in his samples were due to a steroid cream his physio was using to treat a cut on his finger, and which had been transferred through bare-hand massages. An independent tribunal accepted the explanation and ruled that Sinner bore ‘no fault or negligence’ for the positive tests.
The verdict sent shockwaves through the tennis world, with Nick Kyrgios up in arms about the result and publicly venting his anger on social media. Sinner’s ban came into effect in February, just after his win at the Australian Open, and it will end on May 4, just in time for the year’s second Grand Slam at Roland Garros.
Williams, a winner of 23 Grand Slam titles, insists she has nothing against Sinner on a personal level. But the American feels the punishment would have been significantly more severe if she was the one to return a positive sample during her playing days.
“Fantastic personality,” she said in an interview with TIME. “I love the guy, I love this game. He’s great for the sport.
“I’ve been put down so much, I don’t want to bring anyone down. Men’s tennis needs him. If I did that [fail a drugs test], I would have got 20 years. Let’s be honest. I would have got Grand Slams taken away from me.”
Carlos Alcaraz has been closing the rankings gap in Sinner’s absence, helped by his win over Lorenzo Musetti in the Monte-Carlo Masters final on Sunday. Alcaraz and Sinner will soon be fighting for the same big titles, which will provide a top-class spectacle for fans. But the wounds of the Sinner saga may take some time to heal.
Former Wimbledon semi-finalist Tim Henman said the timing of Sinner’s ban has left a ‘sour taste’. He told Sky Sports: “It just seems a little bit too convenient. To miss three months of the Tour and therefore to be eligible to play at Roland Garros, the timing couldn’t have been any better for Sinner, but I still think it leaves a pretty sour taste for the sport.
“When you start reading words like settlement or agreement, it feels like there’s been a negotiation and I don’t think that will sit well with the player cohort and the fans of the sport.”
Content Source: www.express.co.uk