"It's bulls*it" - Jack Sock, Sam Querrey & other tennis pros lament double standards in Jannik Sinner's controversial doping ban

Tennis pros, Jack Sock and Sam Querrey, and others have spoken out about what they see as double standards in Jannik Sinner's doping ban. On Saturday, February 15, the Italian player reached a settlement with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), agreeing to a suspension from tennis following a doping controversy that had been looming since 2024.

In 2024, Sinner tested positive twice for the banned anabolic steroid Clostebol. The first positive result came from an in-competition test at the Indian Wells Masters, and just eight days later, an out-of-competition test before the Miami Open also confirmed the presence of the substance.

The ITIA cleared the Italian of any charges after determining that the substance had entered Jannik Sinner’s body unintentionally. Their investigation found that Sinner’s former physiotherapist, Giacomo Naldi, had used Trofodermin—a spray containing Clostebol—to treat a cut on his finger. He then massaged Sinner’s legs, inadvertently transferring the substance.

In September 2024, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) appealed the decision that had cleared Jannik Sinner of any "no fault or negligence." After five months of legal proceedings, Sinner agreed to a settlement, resulting in a 90-day suspension from the sport, which will end in May.

On Saturday, February 22, during an episode of the Nothing Major podcast, tennis stars Jack Sock, Sam Querrey, and Steve Johnson weighed in on the controversy surrounding Jannik Sinner’s recent doping ban. They discussed the double standards in the sport, expressing their concerns about how such cases are handled by WADA.

Former American tennis pro Steve Johnson found the situation “fishy” and suggested that the 90-day ban seemed suspicious, as it wouldn’t cause Sinner to miss any major tournaments. He said:

“I think it just all of it smells fishy to me. I don't want to get into innocent, guilty, whatever he did…. It seems a bit suspicious that he gets suspended arbitrarily for three months and he doesn't miss any tournaments. He comes back the day before, two days before Rome gets to go. So he gets to play his home Masters series. He doesn't miss any slams….He gets to play the French Open. He gets to play Wimbledon. And that part, just I don't like, just something doesn't smell right to me about that. But that's just my opinion.”

American pickleball player and former professional tennis player Jack Sock criticized the settlement, calling it "bulls*it" while comparing Mikael Ymer's suspension to Jannik Sinner's.

“I think it's bulls**t. I think it's, the whole thing is ridiculous to me. I don't think you can have a Mikael Ymer type player who basically gets suspended for a year or two. It has to retire from the sport because he missed three tests. And then you have a player just because he's a top player fail a drug test and only get three months.”

In July 2023, Ymer was handed an 18-month ban from competition by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) after violating anti-doping rules. The suspension was issued due to Ymer missing three drug tests within a 12-month period.

Sock added:

“I'm a huge fan. Jannik Sinner is an incredible tennis player. It's nothing against him and all of it. But I just think the convenience and the favoritism is a bit much for me.”

Sam Querrey highlighted the shortcomings of the WADA during this whole process stating:

“I don't think most players are actually mad or disappointed with Sinner. I think they're disappointed with like WADA or the drug testing as a whole. It's like the inconsistency of it, that timing.”

The American continued:

“He gets to come back and play Rome. He’s still going to be ranked number one in the world. If you're Sinner, it's great, right? And so I'm assuming he's loving the end result of this, but ultimately, just WADA needs to, WADA is the one that comes out looking like a loser in this whole thing.”

Jannik Sinner to make a comeback at Italian Open 2025

Jannik Sinner at 2024 US Open - Day 2 - Source: Getty

Jannik Sinner is set to make his return to tennis on May 4 after serving a 90-day doping ban. The Italian star will compete in the ATP Masters 1000 event at the Italian Open, which runs from May 5 to May 18 in Rome.

Later, he will compete in the French Open, hoping to secure his fourth Grand Slam title. The tournament is set to run from May 25 to June 8.

Jannik Sinner had his best run at Roland-Garros in 2024 when he made it to the semifinals. However, his run was cut short by eventual champion Carlos Alcaraz.