Feb. 18 (UPI) — Novak Djokovic says the majority of tennis players to whom he recently spoke believe Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek were shown favoritism through the penalties they received after testing positive for banned substances.
Djokovic made the comments while at the Qatar Open on Monday in Doha. The Serbian, who sits at No. 7 in the ATP Tour singles rankings, also called for changes to the disciplinary system, which he said “appears to be very unfair.”
“It’s not a good image for our sport, that’s for sure,” Djokovic said. “There’s a majority of the players that I’ve talked to in the locker room, not just in the last few days, but also last few months, who are not happy with the way this whole process has been handled.
“A majority of the players don’t feel that it’s fair. A majority of the players feel like there is favoritism happening. It appears that you can almost affect the outcome if you are a top player, if you have access to the top lawyers and whatnot.”
The World Anti-Doping Agency announced Saturday that it agreed to a settlement with Sinner for a three-month ban from tennis.
The ban stems from Sinner testing positive for the banned substance clostebol in March. The timing of the ban will allow Sinner to maintain eligibility all three remaining Grand Slams this season, starting with May’s French Open.
The International Tennis Integrity Agency also chose not to suspend Sinner in August, finding “no fault or negligence” of the world’s top player.
Sinner claimed the substance entered his body after a team member used a spray, which contained clostebol, to treat their skin. He said that same team member gsve him a massage, allegedly transferring the substance to his skin and triggering the positive test.
Sinner, 23, won the 2024 U.S. Open in September. He later won the 2025 Australian Open in January.
Swiatek, 23, accepted a one-month ban in November after testing positive for trimetazidne, another banned substance. The former world No. 1 from Poland later said she likely injected the substance through a contaminated medication.
The bans are shorter than those received recently by other tennis players. Djokovic compared the disciplinary measures to those levied against former world No. 1 Simona Halep of Romania and British player Tara Moore during his news conference in Doha.
“Right now, there is a lack of trust generally from the tennis players, both male and female, toward WADA and ITIA and the whole process,” Djokovic said.
Halep received a four-year ban in 2022 after a positive test for a banned substance. That ban was later reduced to nine months.
Moore was suspended in 2022 as part of an investigation that lasted 18 months until she was able to return to the court. She was eventually cleared of an anti-doping violation after the ITIA determined the substance she ingested came from contaminated meat.
Moore, 32, started a GoFundMe fundraiser last year to help fund her tennis comeback. She was previously Britain’s top doubles player, ranked No. 77 in doubles in 2022 and now ranked No. 228.
British tennis player Liam Broady also suggested favoritism toward Sinner during an interview with BBC Sport. Sinner’s ban ends May 4, just before the Italian could compete in the Rome Masters. Broady likened the ban to a Premier League soccer player getting suspended over the summer.
So you were innocent and we were getting fed that you were innocent but now you are suspended from playing the sport? Make it make sense. I’ve got multiple players in my DM’s on how putrid this is even Grand slam champions. Cooked — Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) February 15, 2025
“I do think a lot has been put into when the ban would take place, to impact Jannik’s career as little as possible,” Broady said. “The ban ends the day before the Rome Masters, which is the biggest tournament in his home country and the perfect preparation for him to then go and play the French Open.
“I don’t think he loses any [ranking] points or his No. 1 spot, either, so it’s an interesting ban.”
Stan Wawrinka and Nick Kyrgios were among other tennis players to recently criticize the Sinner settlement with WADA. The Professional Tennis Players Association also issued a statement Saturday, citing “different rules for different players” and a lack of transparency and consistency.
