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Andrey Rublev recently called out the apparent double standards shown by pro tennis' higher-ups in applying anti-doping rules to Jannik Sinner, Simona Halep, Jenson Brooksby and Mikael Ymer. However, the tennis community on social media hit out at him for not being informed enough about the distinction between the cases.
In an interview with a Russian tabloid, Rublev questioned the operations of anti-doping organizations like the International Tennis Integrity Association (ITIA) and World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) while citing the cases of Jenson Brooksby and Mikael Ymer, both of whom were handed long bans despite not failing any doping tests.
The Russian also alluded to the fact that Simona Halep didn't receive a timely trial from the ITIA before her four-year suspension was reduced to nine months following a successful appeal to the Court of Arbitration (CAS).
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"They (Brooksby and Ymer) forgot to fill out the doping test forms... As a result, they were suspended for two years without any trial. It was a truly harsh decision. In Sinner's case, they did everything quickly" Andrey Rublev told BB Tennis recently. "They allowed him to play during the investigation. In contrast, we have the Halep's case. How long did she wait for the investigation to start? She couldn't play for a year or something. That's the problem, it should not be that way in my opinion."
Many fans on X (formerly Twitter) didn't see eye to eye with Andrey Rublev's complaints surrounding ITIA and WADA's treatment of Jannik Sinner's case. One even accused the World No. 10 of harboring "jealousy" and "envy" towards his Italian peer.
"These players are just stupid and full of jealousy and envy, there's no other explication," they wrote on X in a long diatribe against Rublev.
Another fan, meanwhile, went as far as to call the 27-year-old "illiterate".
"Another illiterate and I didn't even expect it from him," they wrote (translated from Italian).
Here are a few more reactions from social media:
"Oh Andrey. It’s like comparing apples to bananas to tomatoes …. Three absolutely different cases. Sure there’s a lot of things wrong with the doping system indeed, but do not compare all these things in the same bracket," one fan suggested.
"Baby let’s go read some books please. This is strike three," one fan insisted.
"This witch hunt thing you’re doing is so weird," another claimed.
"Andrey 👎," one fan wrote in disapproval.
Jannik Sinner will miss first four ATP Masters 1000 tournaments of the year, to return to tour in May
Earlier this month, Jannik Sinner agreed to a three-month suspension from WADA. According to the anti-doping outfit's statement, although the Italian "didn't intend to cheat", he will still face time on the sidelines until May 4.
Sinner will consequently not be able to play at the Indian Wells Masters, the Miami Masters, the Monte-Carlo Masters and the Madrid Masters. The World No. 1 will be back on the ATP Tour just in time for his home tournament at the Rome Masters, which begins on May 7.
