Novak Djokovic has described the brief and unusually timed doping ban handed to Jannik Sinner earlier this year as “odd,” saying the controversy will likely shadow the Italian star for the rest of his career.
Sinner served a three-month suspension after reaching a settlement with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in February, when investigators concluded that the anabolic agent clostebol entered his system accidentally through massages from his former physiotherapist during the 2024 Indian Wells tournament.
Djokovic, while insisting he does not believe Sinner acted intentionally, said the case exposes uncomfortable inconsistencies in how anti-doping authorities treat high-profile and lesser-known athletes.
“Even if it was unintentional, something like this stays with you,” Djokovic said, drawing a parallel to the lingering scrutiny he faced after being deported from Australia in 2022 for refusing a COVID-19 vaccine.
“That cloud will follow him just as the cloud of COVID will follow me for the rest of his – or my – career in this case,” Djokovic said in an interview with Piers Morgan.
“It’s just something that ... it was so major, and when that happens, over time it will fade, but I don’t think it will disappear. There’s always going to be a certain group of people that will always try to bring that forward.”
Djokovic raised questions about the handling of Sinner’s case after the 24-year-old was allowed to return to action in May without missing a Grand Slam event.
The International Tennis Integrity Agency has maintained that all its cases are handled based on facts and evidence, not a player’s name, nationality or ranking.
“There is a lack of transparency, the inconsistency, the convenience of the ban coming between the slams so he doesn’t miss the others – it’s just, it was very, very odd,” Djokovic added.
“I really don’t like how the case was handled. You could hear so many other players, both male and female, who had similar situations, coming out in the media and complaining that it was preferential treatment.”
