Marion Bartoli, the former Wimbledon champion, has voiced her frustration over Jannik Sinner’s doping ban, particularly because it won’t affect his participation in any Grand Slam tournaments.
Last week, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) confirmed that Sinner would face a three-month suspension after failing two doping tests in March 2024. This followed a controversial case where the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) had previously cleared the Italian star of a ban, citing that he had “no fault or negligence” after testing positive for the anabolic steroid clostebol at the Indian Wells Masters.
Sinner explained that the steroid had entered his system during a massage from his former physiotherapist, Giacomo Naldi, who had unknowingly applied a spray containing the substance while treating a cut on his finger. An independent tribunal accepted Sinner’s defense, but WADA disagreed, appealing the ruling in September to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), where they aimed to impose a one-to-two-year ban on the world No. 1.
Although CAS was set to review the case in April, WADA and Sinner’s legal team reached an agreement that resulted in the 23-year-old serving a suspension from February 9 to May 4. As a consequence, Sinner will miss several key tournaments, including this week’s Qatar Open and Masters 1000 events in Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, and Madrid. However, in a significant twist, the ban does not extend to any Grand Slam events. Sinner will be free to compete in the Italian Open, which starts just three days after his suspension ends, and he will not miss his title defenses at the Australian Open and US Open.
Bartoli, speaking on her RMC Sport radio show, expressed her belief that the suspension’s timing does not significantly impact Sinner’s career, particularly since he will still be available for the most prestigious tournaments. “What is annoying in this story is that we know very well that what matters most to these players are the Grand Slam tournaments and there, he is not going to miss any of them,” she said.
She continued, highlighting that the tournaments he will miss, such as those leading up to the French Open, are less critical for Sinner’s current trajectory. “The tournaments that he is going to miss have no importance for him or in his career today, where he is almost a war machine on hard courts.”
Bartoli added that with only Roland Garros and Wimbledon left to conquer, Sinner is “almost unbeatable” on hard courts, underscoring his formidable dominance in the sport.