Former world No. 1 Daniil Medvedev expressed hope that other players might also reach a resolution with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) following Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner’s acceptance of a three-month doping ban on Saturday.
Sinner reached a settlement with WADA, which had appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) after an independent tribunal cleared the Italian of wrongdoing despite failed drug tests.
Rather than risk a lengthy suspension with a decision expected by year’s end, Sinner accepted the three-month ban, allowing him to return in time for the French Open. WADA withdrew its appeal after the agreement.
"I hope that the next few times, the players will be able to do that. WADA will say, 'We've found that (anti-doping rule violation), you get two years.' And you say, 'Well, no, I want one month,'" Medvedev told reporters.
"So I hope that it will create a precedent where everyone will have the opportunity to defend themselves better than before. Otherwise, if it's not going to be possible, it's going to be bizarre."
Medvedev said Sinner was probably able to reach a settlement because he had a strong legal team, a luxury most players on the tour do not have.
"I hope that everyone will have the right to represent themselves because sometimes players don’t have the money for a lawyer, they do it themselves," Medvedev added.
"It’s a bad sign if he's the only one who can do that, but it’s a very good sign if, after that, everyone will be able to do it."
The settlement has been criticized by current and former players, with Australian Nick Kyrgios calling it a "sad day for tennis."
The Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA), an organization established by Novak Djokovic, said the "bias is unacceptable" after many other players received longer bans.
The PTPA announced last month that it is launching a new pro-bono legal defense program for players facing allegations of doping or corruption.
Former British No. 1 Tim Henman said the settlement left a "sour taste for the sport."
"I don’t think in any way he has been trying to cheat at any stage," Henman told Sky Sports. "However, when I read this statement... it just seems a little bit too convenient. It seems that there are words like 'agreement,' and it almost seems like there's been a negotiation.
"I think when you’re dealing with drugs in sport, it very much has to be black and white. It’s binary, it’s positive or negative – you’re banned or you’re not banned."
Britain's former No. 1-ranked doubles player, Tara Moore, who was cleared of an anti-doping rule violation 19 months after she was suspended, said on X: "Can someone explain how a negotiation was possible?"
Moore had spent $250,000 in legal fees and said she expects her expenses to climb further after the International Tennis Integrity Agency announced it would appeal an independent tribunal’s finding of no fault or negligence.
