Nick Kyrgios issues blunt response to Jack Draper defending Jannik Sinner amid Italian's controversial doping ban

Nick Kyrgios has not backed down from his criticism of Jannik Sinner after the ban imposed on the Italian by WADA. Kyrgios has now taken a shot at Jack Draper for defending Sinner.

Draper insisted there was no way the World No. 1 would have intentionally taken anything that resulted in a positive doping test. Draper also talked about how the decision was a loss for the sport.

"‘I don’t think it’s good for sport that the world #1 and someone who is doing incredible things is having a ban but he will be back shortly & I wish him all the best’," he said.

It didn't take Nick Kyrgios long to issue a harsh response to the Brit's statement. Taking to social media platform X, he simply questioned the presence of a banned substance in Sinner's body.

"Then don’t have steroids in your system?" he wrote.

Jannik Sinner agreed to a three-month ban for doping after testing positive for a banned substance last year. The decision came after a settlement with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) which was announced on Saturday, February 15, 2025.

However, Kyrgios wasn't satisfied with the decision. Right after the announcement, he marked it as a "sad day for tennis", citing the 3-month ban as a biased take.

Novak Djokovic addresses comments of "favoritism" in Jannik Sinner's case

Novak Djokovic at the 2025 Australian Open - Day 13 - Source: Getty

Novak Djokovic stepped forward to address multiple claims regarding "favoritism" in WADA's decision to impose a 3-month ban on Jannik Sinner. According to the Serb, it might seem like a top-ranked player would have the resources to reduce their ban, unlike others, who have faced suspensions of at least a year.

"There’s a majority of the players that I’ve talked to in the locker room, not just in the last few days, but also last few months, that are not happy with the way this whole process has been handled. A majority of the players don’t feel it’s fair. A majority of the players feel like there is favouritism happening. It appears that you can almost affect the outcome if you are a top player, if you have access to the top lawyers," he said, as reported by The Guardian.

The Serb also used Simona Halep and Taara Moore's examples to highlight the inconsistencies in decision-making.

"Simona Halep and Tara Moore and some other players that are maybe less known that have been struggling to resolve their cases for years, or have got the ban for years … there is so much inconsistencies between the cases. Sinner has got a suspension for three months because of mistakes and negligence of his team members, who are working on the tour. This is also something that I personally and many other players find strange," he added.

Despite receiving a three-month ban, Jannik Sinner remains World No. 1, as his lead over Alexander Zverev in the rankings is still significant.