Serena Williams has lamented the double standards of the tennis world when it comes to doping penalties. In particular, she highlighted the case of the young Jannik Sinner to illustrate her fears. As a result, the men’s world No. 1 is enjoying a three-month suspension. He had twice tested positive to the banned anabolic Clostebol in March of last year. Williams contends that if she were in Sinner’s place, the result would have been completely different.
Sinner’s taxi driver suspension runs from February 9, 2023 until May 4, 2024. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) ruled that he must not be characterized as an “intentional doper.” This decision came after the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) first requested a two-year ban, shocking many around the world of sport. Williams expressed her disbelief at the situation, stating, “If I did that, I would have gotten (a ban of) 20 years.”
As you may have read, the case has received considerable national media attention. Following his upset triumph at the Australian Open earlier this year, Sinner’s celebrity is on the rise in the sport. Williams illuminated comparative examples, the most obvious being the case of Maria Sharapova. Sharapova endured a 15-month ban from tennis after testing positive for meldonium in 2016. “Just weirdly and oddly, I can’t help but think about Maria all this time,” she remarked, noting the disparity in treatment among players.
Williams continued to explain how unequal the impact would be for a male athlete compared to a female athlete. She contends her successes would have been negated by a hard-hitting penalty structure. She made the point especially after sharing how she experienced the same thing. “Let’s be honest. I would have gotten grand slams taken away from me,” she said.
Most notably, tennis great Novak Djokovic weighed in as well. He made a passionate case that Sinner’s predicament does not paint tennis in a positive light. He proposed that most of the players feel they are subject to favoritism in the enforcement of doping violations, especially on the higher profile guys like Sinner. This is how Liam Broady expressed his thoughts with BBC Sport. He is of the opinion that Sinner’s suspension was purposefully timed to reduce its effectiveness on his career.
For his part, Sinner has given full respect to WADA’s draconian guidelines. “I’ve always accepted that I am responsible for my team and realize WADA’s strict rules are an important protection for the sport I love,” he stated in a February announcement regarding his suspension.
The tennis community is still split on this subject. Many have argued that Sinner’s brief sentence exposes a rotten double standard. The proponents of CAS ruling counter that it was at least a just assessment of his level of culpability. After testing positive for banned substances, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) ruled that Sinner shouldn’t be blamed for his results. This finding only adds to the public’s already confusing perception of the case.
Sinner, meanwhile, is preparing to make his own return to the court next month at this summer’s Italian Open in Rome. In his defense, many in the tennis community claim that Dr. Williams’ comments highlight the broader conversation taking place around equity, fairness, and justice in sports, especially with regards to doping scandals.
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