BRISBANE – On the eve of his return to the court, Novak Djokovic has weighed in on tennis’s high-profile doping cases and criticized what he perceives as double standards in the sport.
The former world No. 1, who is chasing a record 25th Grand Slam title at next month’s Australian Open, expressed his frustration Sunday at being “kept in the dark” regarding top-ranked Jannik Sinner’s doping case.
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Djokovic is the top seed in the Brisbane International this week, making his first appearance at the event since 2009. He will also team up with Australia’s Nick Kyrgios in doubles, with the duo headlining Monday’s action.
Off the court, Djokovic lent his voice Sunday to Kyrgios’s strong criticisms made a day earlier, speaking out at length about the ongoing doping case involving current world No.1 Jannik Sinner.
“I’m not questioning whether (Sinner) took the banned substance intentionally or not,” Djokovic said at a press conference Sunday in Brisbane. “We’ve had plenty of players in the past and currently under suspension for not even testing positive to banned substances.
“Some players with lower rankings waiting for their case to be resolved for over a year. I’ve been really frustrated ... to see we’ve been kept in the dark for at least five months ( on the Sinner case ).”
The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) charged both Sinner and former women’s world No.1 Iga Swiatek with anti-doping breaches earlier in the year.
Sinner tested positive twice for an anabolic steroid in March but avoided a ban after the ITIA ruled he was not at fault. The World Anti-Doping Agency has appealed the decision.
Swiatek accepted a one-month suspension in November after testing positive for the banned substance trimetazidine.
The Serbian further criticized the lack of transparency from tennis authorities regarding doping breaches.
“The ATP hasn’t really talked in depth about it. Why have they kept that case away from the public? We see Simona Halep’s case on the WTA Tour, now Iga Swiatek’s case,” Djokovic said.
“It’s not a good image for our sport. I’m just questioning the way the system works and why certain players aren’t treated the same as others. Maybe some ranking reasons are behind it, or some players have more financial backing and stronger legal teams to tackle these cases.”
Despite his frustrations, Djokovic remains focused on the season ahead. After undergoing knee surgery earlier this year, he returned to reach the Wimbledon final but skipped the end-of-year ATP Finals, where Sinner capped a dominant season with his eighth title.
Djokovic is looking to extend his legacy at Melbourne Park, where he has claimed 10 Australian Open titles, and has brought on former rival Andy Murray as his coach for the tournament.
“It’s strange for me to share all these kinds of insights about how I feel on the court, some of the secrets of what I’m going through, what I’m thinking about, how I see my game, with somebody who has been one of my top rivals,” Djokovic said.
“But I’m so glad and very thankful that he has accepted to work with me, and in Australia … he’s very meticulous, dedicated, and professional.”
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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis