Tennis legend Serena Williams has weighed in on the controversy surrounding Jannik Sinner’s recent doping case, saying that she would have faced far harsher consequences under similar circumstances.
Speaking in a TIME interview after being named one of the magazine’s 100 most influential people, Williams didn’t hold back. “If I did that, I would have gotten 20 years,” she said. “Let’s be honest. I would have gotten Grand Slams taken away from me.”
Williams emphasized that she holds no grudge against Sinner personally, calling him a “fantastic personality” and saying he’s good for men’s tennis. But the 23-time Grand Slam winner pointed out the double standards in how such cases are handled, especially for Black female athletes. Throughout her career, Williams was often at the center of controversy—whether due to on-court outbursts, dress code violations, or broader conversations about race and gender in sport.
“I’ve been put down so much, I don’t want to bring anyone down,” she said, but joked that if a doping case had come up during her playing days, “I would have ended up in jail.”
She also expressed empathy for Maria Sharapova, who was banned for 15 months after testing positive for meldonium in 2016, even though authorities acknowledged her violation was unintentional. “I can’t help but think about Maria all this time,” she added. “I can’t help but feel for her.”
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Sinner’s ban, return date, and reaction
Sinner, the current men’s world No. 1, tested positive twice for the banned anabolic steroid clostebol earlier this year. His team explained the result by citing a medicated cream used by his physio that may have transferred to Sinner through massages. An independent tribunal accepted the argument and ruled that the Italian bore no fault or negligence. He accepted a three-month ban, which ends just ahead of Roland Garros.
Jannik Sinner’s three-month suspension began in February. Though he missed four Masters 1000 tournaments—including Miami, Monte Carlo, and Madrid—he will be eligible to compete again starting May 4. WADA allowed him to return to training from April 13.
Jannik Sinner celebrates winning the 2025 Australian Open
Sinner has not played since winning the Australian Open in January and is expected to make his comeback at the Rome Masters on May 7. Speaking to Sky Sports Italy, Sinner admitted that accepting the suspension felt like the “lesser evil.” He acknowledged it was difficult but said he’s trying to move forward: “Even if sometimes it seems a bit unfair… it could have been worse.”
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The 23-year-old recently became the first Italian man to reach world No. 1, and he will retain his spot at the top of the rankings despite missing three months of competition, as Alexander Zverev failed to capitalize on his absence.
