The Key to Consistency in the Anti-Doping Process

Written by Richard Pagliaro | @Itenisi_Manje | Saturday, August 24, 2024
Photo credit: Julian Finney/Getty

NEW YORK-Taylor Fritz is on the opposite side of the US Open draw led by Jannik Sinner.

American No. 1 says he hopes Sinner's doping case highlights the need for consistency in tennis' anti-doping process.

Compare with Doping: I think they Protect the Top Players

World No. 1 Sinner was twice tested positive for the banned steroid clostebol in March 2024.

The offender successfully challenged the suspension and was allowed to continue playing. An independent court ruled that the Italian singer was “not at fault” for failing doping tests and was therefore not suspended.

Fritz said he believed in the investigation process and the outcome and said the truth of how the Italian was defiled was actually known only by Sinner and his team.

“Everyone will have their own opinion, but it doesn't matter at the end of the day, because the truth of the matter will always be between him and his team,” Fritz told reporters in New York during his speech. pre-tournament presser on Friday. “You know, I hope that whoever, like, the whole investigation process is done properly.”

World No. 12 Fritz said that what concerns him the most is playing equally for all players when it comes to being suspended while their cases are being investigated and judged. Fritz also questioned the fairness of the match when some players were suspended for missing doping tests while Sinner actually failed two doping tests and was not suspended.

“I think the only thing I'm going to say is that I think there's a lot of people who get suspended and can't play for a while because they miss their tests, like random tests, which, by the way, whatever someone says. you, it's not that hard to miss a test or two,” Fritz said. “So people are prevented from missing three times. It's hard to miss three times. You have to lock up once you get two strikes. But there are crazy situations where it happens.

“I think a lot of people get banned for bad reasons. I think in this decision they found that it's different and there's no ban, and I hope that, you know, he didn't do anything wrong or do anything on purpose.

“I just think that it should be consistent with the banning laws and who is banned, who can be banned, who can be suspended, who can be suspended from work.”

Australian Open champion Sinner and his team first learned he had tested positive for the banned steroid Clostebol shortly after winning the Miami Open last March. Coach Darren Cahill has followed up a positive trial on Sinner's physiotherapist, Giacomo Naldi, who the club say unknowingly contaminated Sinner with the medicine he used to treat a cut on his finger.

The drugs, available in the Italian region and other European countries, were given to Naldi by Sinner's trainer, Umberto Ferrara.

Although some players came out in support of Sinner, others pointed to the double standard that he was able to continue competing and other players, who also said they were dirty without knowing, were not there. Soni said the fact that the authorities accepted his explanation almost “immediately” is why his temporary suspension was short.

“I know sometimes the frustration of other players obviously,” Sinner said. “But maybe because they were stopped, they didn't know exactly where it came from, and what it was, but the main reason is where it came from and how it got into his system. We knew right away, and we knew what had happened.

“We left right away, and I was suspended for two, three days. I couldn't practice and everything. But they accepted you very, very quickly, that's why.”