Novak Djokovic Slams ‘Favouritism’ as WADA Responds to Jannik Sinner’s Doping Controversy

Novak Djokovic has once again advocated for reforms in the way tennis handles anti-doping cases, asserting that “favouritism” and access to “top-tier legal representation” have the potential to influence the outcomes of such matters.

In the wake of Jannik Sinner’s three-month suspension imposed by WADA, the 24-time grand slam champion emphasised that lower-ranked players often do not receive the same treatment as top players like Sinner and former women’s world No. 1 Iga Swiatek.

“The majority of players I’ve spoken to in the locker room, not just in recent days but over the past few months, have voiced their dissatisfaction with how this entire process is being managed,” Djokovic stated, as reported by Il Tennis Italiano on Monday.

“Most players believe that it’s unfair. Many feel that there is clear favouritism. It seems that, for top players with access to premier legal advice, the outcome can be altered.”

Djokovic argued that the current system requires a comprehensive overhaul, especially regarding the lengthy battles faced by lesser-known players trying to clear their names.

Former No.1 Simona Halep was initially slapped with a four-year ban after testing positive for the prohibited substance Roxadustat during the 2022 US Open, a penalty that was later shortened to nine months upon appeal—although she had already been inactive longer than that.

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She was set to compete at Melbourne Park for the first time in three years but withdrew from qualifying due to knee and shoulder injuries.

“Simona Halep, Tara Moore from Britain, and several other less prominent players have struggled to resolve their cases for countless years or have received lengthy bans,” Djokovic remarked.

“There’s a significant inconsistency across different cases.”

Despite his suspension, Sinner is still poised to retain his world No.1 ranking until early May.

Alexander Zverev, who defeated Sinner in the Australian Open final, described the suspension as “odd” if the Italian was not truly at fault.

Sinner’s team has consistently maintained that the banned substance was ingested inadvertently through a cream applied by his physiotherapist.

“It’s an unusual situation; it’s been a long process where he was initially cleared, only for WADA to scrutinise it further,” Zverev noted. “In my view, there are two possibilities.”

“Either he is completely blameless and deserves no suspension, or he is at fault, in which case a three-month ban seems insufficient for a steroid-related offence.”

“So, essentially, we need to determine whether it was his fault or not. If it wasn’t, then a three-month suspension seems unjustified; however, if it was his fault, then the duration of the ban appears questionable.”

“This entire process and the peculiar situation surrounding it for nearly a year have been quite bizarre.”

Djokovic has consistently pushed for reforms in the sport’s approach to anti-doping and believes the current framework is inadequate.

“We are at a critical juncture to reassess the system, as it’s evident that the present structure for anti-doping isn’t working,” he remarked.

“I hope that in the near future, the governing bodies of our tours and the broader tennis ecosystem will collaborate to establish a more efficient way to handle these matters.”

“There’s a lack of consistency, and it appears to be very unjust.”

“If each case is treated separately, as is currently happening, then there is neither consistency nor transparency, and certain cases align while others do not,” he elaborated.

“The overarching issue is the current lack of trust from tennis players, both men and women, towards WADA, ITIA, and the entire process.”

In response to the backlash over Sinner’s suspension, WADA issued an explanation detailing why the world No. 1 received a significantly shorter ban compared to the six-year punishment given to a Spanish figure skater in a similar situation.

Spanish media has highlighted the lengthy suspension imposed on skater Laura Barquero after testing positive for the anabolic substance Clostebol, which is also the substance that led to Sinner’s sanction.

WADA clarified that despite both cases involving the same substance, the specific circumstances surrounding Barquero’s case were “very different” from Sinner’s.

“The fundamental difference between the two cases is that Ms Barquero’s explanation for how the substance entered her system was unconvincing given the available evidence, thus leaving the circumstances unknown from WADA’s perspective,” they noted in an email to The Associated Press.

“Conversely, in Sinner’s case, the evidence substantiated the athlete’s explanation as set out in the initial decision.”

Barquero initially tested positive for Clostebol during the 2022 Winter Olympics and had another positive result in January 2023 during an out-of-competition test conducted by the International Skating Union. Ultimately, WADA entered into a “case resolution agreement,” resulting in a six-year suspension. This agreement was acknowledged and signed by WADA, the ISU, and the skater herself.

“If Ms Barquero disagreed with the proposed penalty, she was not compelled to sign the case resolution agreement and could have opted for a hearing at CAS,” WADA explained.

Barquero is expected to make a public statement as her Instagram account has shared multiple posts addressing the disparity in the penalties imposed on her compared to Sinner.

– with AP