"Bunch of criminals ruling this sport"; "Reeks of desperation" - Fans react to Jannik Sinner's lawyer revealing hidden details about doping ban

Tennis fans reacted strongly after Jannik Sinner's lawyer, Jamie Singer, revealed previously undisclosed details about his doping ban. The Italian tennis star is currently serving a 90-day suspension following a doping controversy that had been lingering since 2024.

World No. 1 Sinner tested positive for the banned anabolic steroid Clostebol during an in-competition test at the 2024 Indian Wells Masters. Just eight days later, an out-of-competition test before the Miami Open also came back positive. Clostebol is listed as a prohibited substance by WADA, but the spray form of the drug is legal and easily available in Italy.

In April, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) formally notified Sinner of an "adverse analytical finding" (AAF), which led to an automatic provisional suspension. However, the ITIA later cleared him, determining that the trace amount of the substance had unintentionally entered his system.

This happened because his former physiotherapist, Giacomo Naldi, had been using a Clostebol-containing spray, Trofodermin, to treat a cut on his finger. Over the course of nine days, he continued to massage Sinner with his bare hands after applying the spray, inadvertently transferring the substance to the Italian.

In September 2024, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) challenged the decision that cleared Jannik Sinner of "no fault or negligence" by appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). WADA was pushing for a suspension of one to two years. On January 10, 2025, CAS set a closed-door hearing for April 16-17 at its headquarters in Switzerland.

Before the hearing, on February 15, WADA and Sinner reached a settlement, agreeing on a 90-day suspension due to his "responsibility for the entourage’s negligence." This suspension includes a four-day credit for the time he had already served under two provisional suspensions in April.

During a BBC Sport interview on February 23, Jannik Sinner's lawyer, Jamie Singer, shared details about how the agreement with WADA for the sanction was reached. He admitted that convincing Sinner to accept the offer was "quite tricky." Singer also revealed that both he and WADA’s most senior lawyer recommended going through with the deal.

"When I was saying 'well, look, maybe we should settle for three months', he was saying 'well, why would we do that if the first independent tribunal found it was no ban at all, why would I accept three months now?'," Singer said.

He added:

"My advice was 'one never knows what's going to happen at a hearing, we know that Wada are pushing for a year, if we don't accept their offer then they will go to court looking for a year and who knows what those three judges could do...So the possibility of three months, in my view, was a good possibility."

Fans reacted vehemently after Sinner's lawyer made this revelation, sparking a wave of mixed opinions on X(formerly Twitter).

One fan commented:

"Who believes in these statements lol? Circus lol Gtf outta here Bunch of criminals ruling this sport"

"Gosh this reeks of desperation. No one believes this," another wrote.

Another remarked on the situation:

"It is very odd that Sinners team and WADA and ITIA are frantically making statements, but we've heard absolutely nothing from Sinner himself? Surely he should be doing a video/press conference explaining everything, but my guess is that his handlers simply will not allow that."

He added:

"This is getting murkier by the minute."

Another one commented while supporting Pavvy's claims:

"Sketchy. Why would the “prosecutor” beg the “defendant” to take the deal twice? This is like a fairytale @pavyg It is getting murkier and murkier."

One even questioned the 'integrity' of the sport, saying:

"Tennis integrity over doping? GONE"

Another commented:

"WADA are pushing for a year but they also approached Sinner’s team twice to settle for three months. So if Sinner stuck to his guns and said no deal, and it went to court in April.. WADA wouldn’t then in April say, “look we initially asked for 1-2 years but we are okay with three”? Doesn’t make sense, sorry."

One fan said:

"well, if you take a plea deal, you have to accept the fact that you're guilty and you're settling for a lesser sentence. Sinner should have said, "Fck you, lawyer, I'm not guilty. Let's go to the hearing."

Jannik Sinner to comeback at Italian Open 2025 after serving 90 days ban

Jannik Sinner 2025 Australian Open - Day 15 - Source: Getty

Jannik Sinner is gearing up for his return to tennis on May 4 after serving a 90-day doping suspension. The Italian star will step back onto the court at the ATP Masters 1000 Italian Open, held in Rome from May 5 to May 18. His best run at this tournament came in 2022 when he reached the quarterfinals.

Sinner claimed the first Grand Slam title of the season by winning the Australian Open. Later this year, he will compete in the French Open, aiming for his fourth Grand Slam victory. The tournament is scheduled to take place from May 25 to June 8.

The 23-year-old Italian had an impressive run at Roland Garros in 2024, reaching the semifinals. However, he couldn't get past Carlos Alcaraz, who went on to win the title that year.