Jannik Sinner earns Boris Becker's support again after WADA chief reveals new details in doping saga

Boris Becker has taken to social media to lend his support to Jannik Sinner over the World No.1's controversial drug ban. Becker, a six-time Major champion, is a respected voice in the tennis world and responded to WADA's recent statement in which the anti-doping agency sought to clarify Sinner's sanction.

Sinner was banned for only three months, prompting an angry response from some tennis observers, including Nick Kyrgios, who called the decision "A sad day for tennis". Notably, WADA has produced its version of events, as reported by BBC.com, to suggest that Sinner's case is unique:

“This was a case that was a million miles away from doping. The scientific feedback that we received was that this could not be a case of intentional doping, including micro-dosing," Ross Wenzel, the General Counsel member of WADA told BBC Sport.

Boris Becker, the legendary German player who burst onto the scene as a 17-year-old in 1985, took to his X (formerly Twitter) account to give his take on the WADA declaration. Backer posted:

"Whoever is able to read the facts."

Wenzel mentioned that his organization received mixed reactions to Sinner's suspension. That, he suggested, indicated that the three-month exclusion was about right:

“Wada has received messages from those that consider that the sanction was too high and, in some respects, if you have some saying this is unfair on the athlete, and others saying it's not enough, maybe it's an indication that although it's not going to be popular with everyone, maybe it's an indication that it was in the right place," he added.

Boris Becker called for avoiding incidents that bring the game into disrepute

Laver Cup 2024 - Day 3 - Source: Getty

Becker had previously told Eurosport Germany that he was concerned about Sinner's perceived violation and felt that it had harmed the sport that he graced for nearly 20 years. Becker said:

"Yes, it is bad for tennis. We need to find a sensible solution so that this does not happen again. If two of the best professionals in our sport are involved, then it is harmful," Becker had told Eurosport Germany in January.

Meanwhile, Kyrgios and others were also concerned with the timing of the ban on Sinner. The fact that the World No. 1 would not miss a Grand Slam event, and would return in time to prepare for the French Open has many people questioning the timing of the suspension. Wenzel denied that was the case, stating:

"Once you've reached an agreement, what you can't do is then say 'oh, but we're going to have this apply from two months in the future for a period of three months," Wenzel told BBC Sport.

Notably, Sinner's suspension will end on May 4 and he can resume his training in the lead-up to the French Open.