"You're not going to become World No. 1 because of doping" - Russian ATP legend makes bold claim about Jannik Sinner & Iga Swiatek controversies

Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek have Russian tennis legend Nikolay Davydenko's trust during their ongoing doping controversies, despite a sizable portion of the tennis community standing against them. Davydenko, for one, believes that doping would never be enough to make an average tennis player into a World No. 1, an achievement both Swiatek and Sinner have accomplished.

Sinner's doping controversy came to light ahead of the 2024 US Open, with the ITIA (International Tennis Integrity Agency) revealing that he had tested positive for a prohibited steroid due to contamination. However, he was not handed a ban and allowed to play on the tour. Swiatek also tested positive for a banned substance due to contamination, with the ITIA handing her a one-month ban.

In both cases, the respective players received major pushback from many of their colleagues, with most crying about the double standards in the play of top players getting away without bans while lower-ranked players suffer.

Davydenko, speaking to Match TV in a recent interview, addressed those concerns, saying that he did not think Jannik Sinner became a better player just through doping. The former World No. 3 emphasized how the Italian has made enough tactical changes to better himself on the court, and dismissed the idea of players thinking he is winning only because of illegal means.

"Sinner is playing very well, he is great. I like his tactics on the court, it is not about doping. I saw him in 2019, compared to now, the difference is very decent. Jannik started to play differently. The tactics changed seriously, so many do not have time to play with him."

"Half of the tennis players now say that he is winning because of doping. I will not shout to the press that he is bad, but I will admit my guilt and my mistake as a coach," Davydenko said.

Referring to Iga Swiatek's case as well, Nikolay Davydenko rubbished the idea of a 'pill' making anyone a better player all of a sudden.

"You go to the pharmacy, you buy a pill for your bronchial pain and there's salbutamol, which is considered doping. You always have to be in contact with a sports doctor, it's rubbish. You're not going to become a better player because of a pill," Davydenko said.

"Tennis is tennis, you're not going to become world number one because of doping. It used to be easier to regulate doping, but now it's gotten worse. It's starting to get crazy. It was easier when I was playing. We were under pressure too, but we took it normally," he added.

Nikolay Davydenko calls on tennis bodies to 'sort out' doping control in light of Jannik Sinner & Iga Swiatek's controversies

Billie Jean King Cup Finals - Poland v Italy: Semi-Final - Source: Getty

Continuing in the interview, Nikolay Davydenko recalled his days on the tour, remembering how he had the freedom to eat and drink anything he wanted without fear of contamination.

He believed that tightening doping control has only made things worse on the tennis tours, and urged the organizations in charge to sort things out soon to avoid even further controversies down the line.

"I didn't worry too much, I drank and ate everywhere, without even thinking that I could be doping. I don't know why they've tightened the control so much, there's no result. The ATP needs to sort that out because it's a great organisation in general and it's loyal to the players," Davydenko said.

In Sinner's case, WADA (World Anti-Doping Agency) has appealed the ITIA decision to leave him without a ban, asking for CAS (Centre for Arbitration of Sport) to award the Italian a 2-year ban. The case is ongoing, and will not happen until February 2025 at least. As for Swiatek, WADA has yet to comment on the matter.