"Players will become neurotic" - Holger Rune's mother Aneke gets brutally honest about Jannik Sinner's doping test case

Holger Rune’s mother Aneke recently shared her thoughts on Jannik Sinner’s doping test case. The Dane pointed out the “scary” details of the World No. 1’s contamination and how it was likely to impact other athletes.

In March 2024, Sinner tested positive for a prohibited substance called Clostebol. The miniscule traces found in his samples amounted to one billionth of a gram and were found to have no performance enhancing effect.

The evidence showed that Jannik Sinner’s physiotherapist, Giacomo Naldi, had used a healing spray containing the substance to treat his own injured finger. Traces of this substance were then transferred to the athlete through transdermal contamination during a routine massage session.

Sinner’s rival Holger Rune’s mother, Aneke, recently touched upon the ease at which prohibited substances could potentially show up in players’ tests. Speaking to Ekstra Bladet, she said:

"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."

She indicated that having to be alert about every step they take could make the players “neurotic.”

"Otherwise the players will become neurotic," Aneke Rune added.

After an independent tribunal cleared Jannik Sinner of any wrongdoings, the ITIA ruled a “no fault or negligence” verdict in August 2024, allowing him to continue competing. However, the WADA launched an appeal, claiming that the World No. 1 should hold some responsibility for his team member’s negligence.

The initial push was for a one- or two-year suspension, but the WADA eventually approached Sinner for a settlement with a reduced period of ineligibility, having thoroughly investigated the details of his case.

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Holger Rune's mother Aneke on Jannik Sinner's contamination: "They can't sit isolated and eat organic bananas all day"

Holger Rune and Jannik Sinner (R) pictured at the 2025 Australian Open - Image Source: Getty

It should be noted that Clostebol-containing medications can be obtained only via prescription in many countries. Italy, however, is one of the countries that provides the medication over the counter, which resulted in dire consequences in Jannik Sinner's case. In that regard, Holger Rune’s mother said:

"Now Clostebol is a prescription drug in most countries, and there is therefore little risk of transmission. But not in Italy. (But) It should be -- as a consequence of all the cases they have had, to protect their athletes," she said in the aforementioned interview.

Aneke Rune opined that the anti-doping agencies should reconsider the threshold for positive tests so as to avoid jeopardizing players’ everyday lives.

"But there may be other substances that are also easily transmitted, and therefore it is important to look at the lower limit values, so that the athletes do not end up isolating themselves completely."

According to reports, the WADA has been reevaluating their limits to prevent contamination cases like those of Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek, with the new code set to roll out in 2027.

"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," Holger Rune’s mother added.

Jannik Sinner is presently out of action as he serves his three-month suspension, which started on February 9. The Italian, who won his third Grand Slam title at the 2025 Australian Open in January, will resume his campaign on May 4 in front of his home crowd at the Rome Masters. Holger Rune, meanwhile, will bid for his second Masters 1000 title at Indian Wells (March 2-16) following his Acapulco exit.