"This Jannik Sinner case is a huge scandal" - Serena Williams' ex-coach slams the system after Italian's controversial doping ban

Serena William’s ex-coach, Patrick Mouratoglou, weighed in on the recent developments in the doping case involving Jannik Sinner. The World No. 1 accepted a three-month ban in a settlement with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

The Italian tested positive twice for clostebol, an anabolic steroid during the Miami Open in March 2024. According to the initial investigation by an independent panel in September 2024, Sinner bore 'no fault or negligence', citing that the contamination stemmed from the physio using a prohibited substance while treating the player.

Dissatisfied with the ruling, WADA appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS), seeking a two-year ban. Eventually, the case was resolved with a three-month ban, citing the player as a victim of contamination and concluding that the substance did not significantly enhance the player's performance.

In the recent comments made by Mouratoglou via his Instagram handle, he criticized how anti-doping authorities handled Sinner’s case, highlighting inconsistencies and suggesting a potential double standard.

“I think this Sinner case is a huge scandal. It’s not about him being guilty or not, the question is more about how the anti-doping dealt with the situation. Everybody feels that there’s a double standard which is the case clearly.”

The French coach further emphasized his belief in Sinner’s innocence, describing him as a player who doesn't have that kind of 'mentality' or 'mindset'.

“It’s very unlikely that he did doping, this is really a personal statement: I don’t think it’s his mindset at all, his mentality to do doping, first. Second, when you find such low levels of a forbidden product in someone, in 90% of the cases, if not more, it is a contamination and the player is a victim so that’s why I think he is innocent.”

Jannik Sinner's doping row has sparked debates about the efficacy and transparency of anti-doping mechanisms in the sport.

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Serena William’s ex-coach comments on the treatment of other players in doping cases

Patrick Mouratoglou at the 2024 China Open - Source: Getty

Through the aforementioned Instagram post, Patrick Mouratoglou also voiced his concerns about how doping cases are handled. Citing the manner in which Jannik Sinner's doping case was managed, Mouratoglou said:

“So it looks like really a parody of justice. I understand that the other players feel, but where’s the justice then? What I’m going to say sounds strange, but I think the way they handled Sinner’s case is the right way but it should be true for everyone,” he stated.

He stressed the need to keep such cases private until a final decision is made, to avoid affecting a player's reputation, because it is hard to change public opinion once the allegations are made.

“It’s the right way to not make it public, because once you make it public, for everyone this player is doing doping, and if at the end he was the victim of contamination it ruins his image, can ruin his career. He should not be suspended and it should not be public until there’s a final decision that is reached,” he explained.

Following his doping ban, Jannik Sinner is set to miss 12 ATP events leading up to the French Open, which begins on May 19. His withdrawal from the Qatar Open came at the last moment due to the settlement with WADA.

During these three months, there is a possibility that Sinner could lose his coveted World No. 1 ranking to Alexander Zverev or Carlos Alcaraz, who trail by just 3,200 and 3,900 points, respectively—margins that can easily be recovered in this time frame.