Matteo Berrettini stands up for close friend Jannik Sinner despite overwhelming criticism of Italian after doping ban

The 2021 Wimbledon finalist and a fellow Italian friend, Matteo Berrettini has voiced his support for Jannik Sinner, who recently accepted a three-month suspension imposed by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) for his positive result which came back in March 2024 ahead of the Miami Open.

The reduced serving of the ban has sparked widespread debate and criticism in the tennis community. Initially, the ban was speculated to last around two years but was ultimately reduced to three months. This decision was based on several factors, including the absence of intent to cheat, negligence by his support staff—specifically, the substance being applied by his physio during a massage—and the fact that the drug did not enhance the athlete’s performance in any way.

Recently, speaking about the controversy, Berrettini told ‘LA STAMPA’:

“I believe in sport. I don't know what happened between the various organizations, I'm not a lawyer and it's not my place. I'm only sorry for a guy like Sinner who, as the papers show, was the victim of a mistake. But Jannik is stronger than all of us… he’ll be back.”

The two Italians share a strong bond on and off the court as well. They were a formidable force at the 2024 Davis Cup, which Italy won. Both the players did not lose a single match in the last eight and even contested in the quarterfinals as a doubles pair against Argentina, where they defeated Maximo Gonzalez and Andres Molteni in straight sets. Off the court, Berrettini’s unwavering support for Sinner during challenges reflects their deep mutual respect and friendship.

The tennis world has witnessed its fair share of controversies over the years, but cases like Sinner's serve as a reminder of the strict rules and the deep respect that the sport demands. The World No. 1 will serve the ban until the beginning of the tennis summer season. Then, he will be eligible to play the second Grand Slam of the year, the French Open, which starts on May 19.

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“Sad day for tennis” - Nick Kyrgios on Jannik Sinner's three-month doping ban

Jannik Sinner (L) and Nick Kyrgios (R) at the 2022 Miami Open - Source: Getty

Nick Kyrgios, the former World No. 13 has been vocal about Jannik Sinner’s positive testing for the banned substance since the beginning. The Australian star dropped yet another bold statement regarding the doping issue as he wrote on X:

“So wada come out and say it would be a 1-2 year ban. Obviously sinners team have done everything in their power to just go ahead and take a 3 month ban, no titles lost, no prize money lost. Guilty or not? Sad day for tennis. Fairness in tennis does not exist.”

Kyrgios’ comments reflect the frustration felt by some people in the tennis community. While Sinner’s ban was reduced due to mitigating factors, such as the lack of intent to cheat and the unintentional use of a prohibited substance, critics like Kyrgios and others remain skeptical about the fairness of the ruling.