Stan Wawrinka believes Jannik Sinner's doping controversy is "hurting" tennis: Here's why

Stan Wawrinka recently delved into what he felt was wrong with Jannik Sinner's doping ordeal and how it has negatively affected tennis. The Swiss had earlier made remarks about losing faith in clean sport when it was revealed that the Italian would be serving a three-month suspension.

Sinner tested positive for Clostebol, a banned anabolic steroid, during the Indian Wells in 2024. He explained to the ITIA (International Tennis Integrity Agency) that the substance entered his body via bare-handed massages from his ex-physiotherapist, who was using a healing spray containing Clostebol to treat a wound on his finger, following which he was cleared to play.

However, there was another twist in the saga when WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) appealed the verdict to CAS (Court for Arbitration of Sport) in September, hoping to get the Italian a one- to two-year ban. After his win at the Australian Open this year, it was announced that both sides had reached a settlement, and Jannik Sinner was set to serve a three-month suspension.

The news sparked mixed reactions from all over the tennis world. Stan Wawrinka on X (formerly Twitter), wrote the following,

"I don't believe in a clean sport anymore."

During a recent conversation with Eurosport France, Stan Wawrinka said that he didn't feel Sinner's case was handled properly from the get-go.

"What's wrong with the Sinner case? Well, the way it was handled, the communication. The fact that something wasn't known from the beginning. In this way, you take away credibility from what is happening," Wawrinka said.

The Swiss then explained how the verdicts of such cases have been inconsistent over the years and felt that these inconsistencies were detrimental to tennis.

"We've seen it in cases over the last few years. Some have been suspended for two years because they forgot to give an exact address... It's been handled in a way that I think is hurting tennis, simply because at the end of the day you ask yourself what the fight is that you're trying to win. Are you really looking for the positive players or is it all about having a good lawyer who gets you out of the case in the best possible way?"

With his ban set to end on May 4, the World No.1 has kicked off his preparation to make his return.

"It certainly won't be easy for me" - Jannik Sinner gets honest about his return to tennis

Jannik Sinner - Source: Getty

While at a Sports Gala recently, Jannik Sinner told ORF Sudrirol, local broadcaster, that he had kicked off preparing for his comeback, admitting that he knew it would be very hard for him to play at his best from the get-go.

“Now that we have less than a month to go, we're training very, very hard,” he said. “Hopefully, we'll get some momentum going again ahead of the clay season. It certainly won't be easy for me. The first games will be really difficult. But hopefully I'll be able to get back into the rhythm and then we'll see how it goes.”

Jannik Sinner will make his highly anticipated return in front of his home crowd at the 2025 Italian Open in Rome, where he will be the top seed. Despite his three-month absence, he has managed to held on to his World No. 1 ranking.