Rafael Nadal defends Jannik Sinner amid allegations of preferential treatment in doping case

The biggest talking point in the past month of tennis season has been Jannik Sinner’s doping case, which was resolved quickly and in secret ahead of the US Open. While the International Tennis Integrity Agency stated the player’s innocence, several players have come to question the fairness of the process, especially in contrast with other cases in the past. The last star to weigh in the matter is Rafael Nadal, who is on Sinner’s side.

Nadal, who chose to withdraw from the US Open this year, appeared in the Spanish variety program El Hormiguero and was asked about his thoughts on Sinner’s case. “I have a virtue or a defect, which is that I believe in the good faith of people,” he said.

“I know Sinner and I don’t think he wanted to dope. Justice is justice and I don’t think we have to like it only when it is resolved in the way we think,” he continued. Nadal said that he believes that if he wasn’t sanctioned, it is because “what happened was not punishable.”

“I don’t think they have judged him as innocent simply because he is the world No 1. Everyone’s opinion is respectable and mine is this,” he concluded. Nadal’s stance is similar to his uncle’s opinion, who was recently mocked by Nick Kyrgios, one of the strongest critics of how the case was handled.

Jannik Sinner and Rafael Nadal ( Julian Finney/Getty Images)

In a press conference ahead of the US Open, Sinner said that the reason his case was solved quickly was because they knew where the banned substance (clostebol) came from. “We knew it straight away and we were aware of what happened. We went straight away and I was suspended for two, three days. I couldn’t practice and everything. But they accepted it very, very fast and that’s why (I carried on playing),” he said.

Nadal’s support comes after Simona Halep said she was ‘judged’ differently

Sinner’s case has often been compared to Simona Halep’s own doping incident. The Romanian star was handed a four-year ban by the ITIA after testing positive for Roxadustat during the 2022 US Open. However, the ban was later reduced to nine months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

Speaking at an event in Romania on Saturday, Halep expressed her frustration over the disparity of how the cases were handled. “I’m not defending myself here. It’s clear and visible—I was judged differently and suffered a lot. I waited a long time, and it wasn’t fair to me,” Halep said.

“All athletes should be judged and treated equally, whether they’re number one or number 200. What happened wasn’t fair, but I want to move on with my life because life is wonderful,” she added.

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The former world No. 1 has now completed her nine-month suspension and is eligible to return to competition, though she hasn’t played an official match since her first-round loss to Ukraine’s Daria Snigur at the 2022 US Open.