NEW YORK — Novak Djokovic understands why some tennis players are questioning whether there is a double standard in the sport after Jannik Sinner was not suspended despite twice testing positive for steroids, and said Saturday that he agrees there is “a lack of consistency.”
Sinner tested positive twice in March for an anabolic steroid, but the International Tennis Integrity Agency determined the banned performance enhancer entered his system unintentionally through a massage by his physiotherapist.
The ruling was announced Tuesday, less than a week before Sinner begins the U.S. Open as the No. 1 seed. Djokovic, who won the tournament last year for his record 24th Grand Slam singles title, is seeded second.
“I understand that players are frustrated by the lack of consistency,” Djokovic said. “As far as I understand, his case was settled the moment it was announced.”
Some players took to social media after the news broke, wondering if Sinner got lucky due to his position as one of the best players in the game.
“We see a lack of standardized and clear protocols. I can understand the feelings of many players who wonder if they are treated equally,” Djokovic said.
Djokovic said the Professional Tennis Players Association, which he co-founded, advocates on behalf of players for clear and fair protocols and standardized approaches to cases.
“A lot of players… have had similar or almost identical cases, where they have not had the same outcome,” Djokovic said, “and now the question is whether it is a case of funds, whether a player can afford to pay a significant amount of money to a law firm that would represent him more efficiently.”
Carlos Alcaraz, the 2022 US Open champion, said that Sinner's case was a sensitive issue.
“I think there is something behind this that many people don't know. I don't even know myself. In the end it is something very difficult to talk about,” said Alcaraz.
“In the end he tested positive, but there must be a reason why he was allowed to continue playing and which we don't know about. That's why I can't say much about it. He was declared innocent and that's why we have Jannik in the tournament, so there's not much to say and I'm not in a position to add anything more.”
