Reactions from Fellow Players
…and more.
For a deeper insight into the case, check out our post.
Jack Draper
“i know jannik, he’s a good friend. i am sure he wouldn’t have done anything intentional [..] i don’t think this is good for the sport [..] but he’ll be back shortly, i wish him all the best and i hope he’s going to be ok”
Aryna Sabalenka
Sabalenka refused to comment on the outcome of the Sinner case but says she has become too wary of falling foul to the sport’s strict anti-doping rules.
“You just start to be more careful. For example, before I wouldn’t care to leave my glass of water and go to the bathroom in a restaurant and now, I’m not going to drink from the same glass of water,” said the Belarusian world number one.
“You just become a bit too much aware of stuff and this thing gets to your head that, like, if someone used a cream on you and you test positive, they’re going to go for you and they’re not going to believe you or anything.
“You just become too scared of the system. I don’t see how I can trust the system.”
Jessica Pegula
“My reaction is that, whether you think he did or you don’t, or whatever side you’re on, the process just seems to be completely like not a process… …I feel like they have so much power to ruin someone’s career, as well. I think there needs to be something done about that because it just seems really unfair.”
“I don’t think any of the players trust the process at all right now. Zero. It’s just a horrible look for the sport.”
Matteo Berrettini
Matteo Berrettini says Jannik Sinner is the victim of a mistake and he feels sorry for him: “I believe in sport. I don’t know what happened between the various organizations, I’m not a lawyer and it’s not my place. I’m only sorry for a guy like Sinner who, as the papers show, was the victim of a mistake. But Jannik is stronger than all of us… he’ll be back.” “I have always supported Sinner and believe that the positive tests were the result of a mistake. I can imagine that it is a difficult time for him. Have I written to him? No, I prefer to respect his desire for privacy.”
NOVAK DJOKOVIC
Sasha Zverev
“Either you’re at no fault and you should get no suspension at all. Because if you have no fault, then you have no fault. You shouldn’t get punished. But if you do have fault, then I think for taking steroids, three months is not a suspension.”
TARA MOORE
“I don’t think any of this was sinners fault. I’m simply asking that everyone get the same treatment.”
and… WADA
WADA general counsel, Ross Wenzel, says Jannik Sinner’s case was a million miles away from doping & that Jannik did not get to choose what months he would serve his 3-month ban: “This was a case that was a million miles away from doping. The scientific feedback that we received was that this could not be a case of intentional doping, including micro-dosing.” “Wada has received messages from those that consider that the sanction was too high and, in some respects, if you have some saying this is unfair on the athlete, and others saying it’s not enough, maybe it’s an indication that although it’s not going to be popular with everyone, maybe it’s an indication that it was in the right place.” “When we look at these cases we try to look at them technically, operationally and we don’t do it with fear of what the public and the politicians or anyone is going to say.” Wenzel says that sanctions are ‘blind to the calendar’ & says Sinner did not get to choose what months he would serve his ban: “Once you’ve reached an agreement, what you can’t do is then say ‘oh, but we’re going to have this apply from two months in the future for a period of three months.’” “It must come into effect quickly. Of course, once the deal is done, it’s important that it is executed and that it is made public for reasons of transparency.” “So it happened, because of the timing of the CAS proceedings, it happened to be decided last Friday, it was a very late night, and it came into effect immediately, so that is the reason for the timing.” “The sanctions that we impose and the code even says this, they’re blind to the calendar. The correct sanction should be imposed and it comes into effect when it comes into effect and it shouldn’t be modulated or modified to take into account whether the events that are coming up are significant or not significant.”
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