"More informed about Jannik Sinner's case than most ATP players" - Fans side with Holger Rune's mother Aneke's take on Italian's doping ban

Holger Rune's mother Aneke recently spoke her mind about Jannik Sinner's ongoing three-month ban. Aneke's take on the subject was an elaborate one, and it found favor with many tennis fans, who opined that very few players and analysts before her managed to make sense of the situation in the way she did.

Speaking to Danish newspaper Ekstra Bladet, Aneke talked about the risks of Clostebol contamination. Jannik Sinner tested positive for Clostebol, an anabolic steroid, last year when he was in the USA to play at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.

The Italian later explained that the exposure happened due to a Clostebol-containing medication his then-physio Giacomo Naldi was using to treat a cut on the finger. Rune's mother also suggested that it's impossible for athletes to isolate themselves completely simply to not test positive for a prohibited substance.

"If you read a little about clostebol, you can see how frighteningly easy it can be transferred to other people if it has been used by a third party. That, I think, is almost the scariest thing about this case. Think about how many fans you give high fives to, surfaces you touch, etc," Aneke said. (translated from Danish)

"They can't sit isolated from all the people and eat organic bananas all day for fear of a test showing 0.00000000001 trace of something," she added later. (translated from Danish)

Several tennis fans on X (formerly Twitter) lauded Holger Rune's mother Aneke's assessment of Jannik Sinner's ban and the controversy surrounding it.

"The way she’s sm more informed about this case than most players on the atp tour," a fan wrote.

"It's incredible that this logical statement doesn't come from the other players but from the mother of one of them. Finally someone who thinks and understands that this could happen to anyone," commented another.

"The final part is a Nobel sarcasm award: stop for three months or a year because you have to wait for any Fracchia accountant to be having fun finding 0.00000001% of something in the bladder legacy of an athlete. I wanted to hug her," another chimed in.

Here are some more reactions from tennis fans to Aneke Rune's take on Jannik Sinner's ban:

"Ma'am, you had my fear, but now you've earned my respect," wrote one fan.

"This is the kind of statement one would expect from fellow tennis players who live that same life of fear of restriction. Instead they preferred to be cowardly vultures. But everything comes back. Great Aneke," another added.

"When something it’s so unfair, honest people just say it. Jannik shouldn’t have suspension at all. Thank you @Anekerune. You spoke as a mother too. No one would see his own child go through this," yet another fan weighed in.

Late last year, Holger Rune had shed light on the measures he takes to avoid testing positive for prohibited substances.

"If I leave a drink anywhere, I never pick it up again" - Holger Rune in 2024 amid Jannik Sinner doping controversy

Holger Rune (left) and Jannik Sinner (right) at the 2025 Australian Open (Source: Getty)

Ahead of the London edition of the Ultimate Tennis Showdown (UTS) in December 2024, Holger Rune talked about how he personally goes to great lengths to steer clear of testing positive for banned agents. At the time, there was a lot of noise surrounding the then-upcoming Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) hearing into WADA's appeal against the ITIA's decision to allow Jannik Sinner to continue playing.

"Personally, I always take care of what I eat and drink. If I leave a drink anywhere, I never pick it up again. You have to protect yourself where you can to make sure I can do what I can to do what I love and that’s play tennis every day," Rune said.

Jannik Sinner settling for a three-month ban with WADA meant that the CAS hearing, which was scheduled for April this year, was no longer necessary. The reigning World No. 1 is set to return to action at the 2025 Italian Open before heading to the year's second Grand Slam at Roland Garros.

The Italian though, was dealt a fresh blow recently, as his nomination for the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year was dismissed in light of his ongoing suspension. Sinner has played just one tournament so far in 2025, successfully defending his title at the Australian Open after beating Alexander Zverev in the final.

Rune, on the other hand, recently retired during his second-round match against Brandon Nakashima at the Mexican Open in Acapulco due to a stomach ailment. The Dane currently has six wins out of 12 matches so far this season.