"Best player and worst doper that's ever lived" - Andy Roddick shares sarcastic take on Jannik Sinner having potentially known about Clostebol use

Andy Roddick recently used a dash of sarcasm while talking about Jannik Sinner's doping row. According to Roddick, if Sinner deliberately used the prohibited substance Clostebol, the Italian would be the "best player on Earth and worst doper that's ever lived."

Merely days before the 2024 US Open, it came to light that World No. 1 Sinner had twice tested positive for Clostebol earlier in the year. However, according to the test reports, there were only trace amounts of the substance in his bloodstream.

It was also revealed that the Italian had successfully overturned a provisional suspension by appealing against it. Through the appeal, Sinner's team proved to an independent tribunal appointed by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) that the Italian himself was not at fault for the exposure to the substance. Instead, the one primarily found responsible was his former physio, Giacomo Naldi.

However, several prominent names in tennis were infuriated by what they perceived as preferential treatment towards Jannik Sinner. Former World No. 1 Andy Roddick though, has firmly stood by his belief that the reigning Australian Open and US Open champion wasn't aware of the Clostebol contamination.

Recently, Roddick once again spoke up about the subject. This time around, the 2003 US Open champion compared Jannik Sinner's case to that of former WTA World No. 1 Iga Swiatek, who is embroiled in a doping controversy of her own.

"The thing that's interesting is I'm always obsessed with precedent, right? So, they will say the precedent was set that she (Swiatek) was suspended for a month. I don't know how Sinner gets any less than that. With Swiatek, it wasn't someone on her team. It wasn't as if someone who did it to her like the Sinner case, assuming we believe the story he's told," Roddick said on the 'Served With Andy Roddick' podcast. (at 12:00)

"I'm not saying you have to. I just don't think he would risk his entire career for something that didn't enhance performance. I've said it many times. If he knowingly did it and got zero benefit, I'd actually take a larger suspension just for stupidity," Roddick added.

The 42-year-old further opined that a one-month ban for Iga Swiatek has probably set the precedent for a similar suspension for Jannik Sinner after the World Anti-Doping Agency's (WADA) appeal against the independent tribunal's decision is heard by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) next year.

"Now we're looking at the February 11 date for Sinner and WADA (CAS hearing). Does WADA feel like they have to do something? If it's a month, like Iga, which I feel at this point they have to do, like they've set precedent. I'm not going to go after Sinner because I don't think he knew. I don't think he's that dumb. I just don't. Maybe I'm wrong. We'll never know. Best player on earth and worst doper that's ever lived, maybe," Roddick concluded.

Roddick has also voiced against Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek's critics, who have suggested that the Italian and Pole's respective influences within the sport have led to lenient punishments despite their doping violations.

"Chirping about these champions that will be Hall of Famers" - Andy Roddick takes swipe at critics of Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek

Andy Roddick (Source: Getty)

Nick Kyrgios and Denis Shapovalov are among several high-profile names in tennis who expressed their frustrations at the way Jannik Sinner was allowed to keep playing despite twice testing positive for a banned substance. Kyrgios also voiced harsh criticism in the wake of Iga Swiatek's doping revelation.

Roddick, on his podcast, Served With Andy Roddick, took a swipe at Sinner and Swiatek's critics amid their doping rows.

"Players that are chirping about these champions that will be Hall of Famers, when they've never put in two good days of work together simultaneously in their lives, it's all just like I kind of roll my eyes at all of it. There's a serious issue," Roddick said.

Later, Kyrgios took to X (formerly Twitter) and controversially suggested that Roddick "likely" used prohibited substances during his own playing days. The Australian's take stemmed from the American refusing to criticize Sinner and Swiatek.