NEW YORK – Rafael Nadal has defended Jannik Sinner after the world number one tested positive for a banned substance but escaped punishment. He said the Italian never considered doping and that he would not be judged differently just because he is the top-ranked player.
In March, Sinner was tested for the steroid clostebol, which can be used to build muscle, but a court acquitted the test after learning that his physiotherapist had sprayed a cut on his own hand with a spray before treating the Italian.
When Sinner came to the US Open, players accused him of double standards after he was cleared of any wrongdoing while others were provisionally banned for similar positive tests. Nadal, however, said anti-doping organizations must be trusted.
“I have a virtue or a deficit, which is that I usually believe in people’s good faith. I know Sinner, and I don’t think Sinner ever wanted to dope,” Nadal said on the Spanish television show “El Hormiguero.”
“I don’t think we have to like it just because it’s resolved in our minds. Ultimately, justice is justice and I believe in justice.”
“I believe in the committees that have to make decisions and that really make them based on what they believe is right.”
The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) acquitted Sinner after he failed two doping tests in March. However, he has always maintained his innocence and stated that less than a billionth of a gram of clostebol was found in his body.
The ITIA is an independent body founded in 2021 by the sport’s governing bodies.
Novak Djokovic called for “clear protocols” and a “standardized” approach to doping cases, while Australian Nick Kyrgios said Sinner should have been banned regardless of the type of doping, whether it was “accidental or planned.”
However, Nadal said the authorities did not give Sinner any preferential treatment.
“I am completely convinced that if he was not penalized, it is because those who had to judge this case saw very clearly that no sanctions needed to be imposed,” added Nadal, who skipped the US Open for fitness reasons.
“I don’t believe that he is not punished because he is a sinner and that he is punished because he is someone else. I really believe that and I am convinced of it.”
“In hindsight, other people’s opinions are perfectly respectable. But, well, that’s my opinion.”
The number one seed Sinner defeated American Tommy Paul in the fourth round of the US Open on Monday to secure a quarterfinal clash with 2021 champion Daniil Medvedev.
This report uses information from Reuters.
