Serbian tennis player Novak Djokovic (4th in the world) commented on the doping positive case of Italian Jannik Sinner (2nd in the world), calling the handling of the case "inconsistent and lacking transparency".
The Serbian also said he was "shocked" when the penalty happened, and finds it "strange that the sanction came between two Grand Slam tournaments, so that he wouldn't miss them", although he does not believe it was done on purpose.
The 24-year-old Italian had been sanctioned for three months without playing, between February and May of this year, after testing positive for clostebol in March 2024.
In an interview, Serbian Novak Djokovic, considered one of the greatest tennis players of all time, spoke openly about his thoughts on the penalty that Sinner suffered at the beginning of the season for doping.
"The way the whole case was handled is very suspicious," said the 38-year-old player, who highlighted "the lack of transparency and inconsistency", calling it "very strange" that the sanction came at a time when no Grand Slam tournament could be missed.
In any case, the recent ATP 250 champion in Athens, Greece, commented that he does not believe the use of clostebol was intentional.
"These are the rules, and for very similar situations, others have been sanctioned for years," Djokovic added. Furthermore, the 38-year-old player added that "this cloud will follow him throughout his career", but he put himself in the shoes of the world's second-best tennis player, stating that "it is not easy for him", that he feels "empathy and compassion" and opining that "he handled the media storm with maturity and serenity".
"Nole" also referred to the sporting side, stating that it is "meritorious" that amidst this situation Sinner has continued to "dominate, play incredibly and win Grand Slams".
Furthermore, about the great final that the Italian and Carlos Alcaraz (1st) played at Roland Garros, the experienced 24-time Grand Slam champion affirmed that he entered "a phase of rare admiration" when watching matches of other players, classifying that match as one of the few in which he noticed "an astronomical level of tennis".
