Daniil Medvedev weighs in on Jannik Sinner's ban; hopes for "precedent" amid fierce backlash

Daniil Medvedev recently spoke his mind on Jannik Sinner's controversial three-month ban from the ATP Tour. The suspension sparked backlash, with many prominent names in tennis and fans alike suggesting that it was a convenient way for Sinner to serve a punishment without experiencing a drastic impact on his No. 1 ranking and Grand Slam aspirations in 2025.

Medvedev's comments came in the wake of his shock 3-6, 2-6 semifinal loss to youngster Hamad Medjedovic at the 2025 Open 13 Provence in Marseille. The Russian opined that Sinner negotiating a three-month ban with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) should become a norm for players testing positive for banned substances going forward.

"I hope that from now on everyone can talk to WADA and if they tell you: 'we found this, it's been two years', you answer: 'no, I want one month' . I hope it will set a precedent. Otherwise it would be strange," Medvedev said during a post-match press conference. (translated from French)

According to Daniil Medvedev, it would be a bad look for tennis if the polarizing turn of events in Jannik Sinner's doping row turns out to be an exception based on the Italian's financial power.

"I hope that everyone will have the right to represent themselves. Because sometimes some people don't have the money for a lawyer, he does himself. And maybe he (Sinner) will have, I don't know, if he reads the contract or the rules, maybe he has the same possibilities. So it's the only thing that I hope because it's a bad signal if it's only him that can do this. But it's a very good signal if after that everyone can do this," he added. (translated from French)

In March 2024, Jannik Sinner twice tested positive for Clostebol, a banned, performance-enhancing substance, and subsequently received a provisional suspension from the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA). The Italian swiftly proved that his exposure to the substance was accidental. This led to his provisional suspension being lifted, allowing him to continue competing on the ATP Tour unhindered.

Later, the ITIA tasked an independent tribunal with investigating the reigning No. 1's case thoroughly. The tribunal also concluded that Sinner himself was not to blame for the exposure. However, these developments were all controversially made public in August last year, shortly before the start of the 2024 US Open.

WADA proceeded to intervene, seeking a ban of up to two years on Sinner. The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) had scheduled an April 2025 hearing on WADA's appeal. However, with the Italian and WADA settling for a three-month ban, the CAS' role in proceedings has been made redundant.

Jannik Sinner's No. 1 ranking not under significant threat; Italian set to miss four Masters 1000 tournaments

Jannik Sinner (Source: Getty)

Jannik Sinner's nearest rivals in the ATP Tour rankings, No. 2 Alexander Zverev and No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz, both have the opportunity to replace the Italian at the top of the men's singles rankings in the months ahead. However, to capitalize on the opportunity, they would have to string together a run of exceptional results at the upcoming tournaments that Sinner will not be featuring in due to the ban.

The Masters 1000 events that the Italian will be forced to skip include the 'Sunshine Double' in the USA, consisting of the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells and the Miami Open. After these hardcourt tournaments, Sinner will also miss the Rolex Monte-Carlo Masters and the Madrid Open, with both events ushering in the European claycourt swing.

However, the World No. 1 is slated to be back in time for the 2025 Italian Open, another Masters 1000 tournament scheduled to take place in the buildup to this year's French Open.