Nick Kyrgios has slammed the World Anti Doping Agency.
The 29-year-old has took to social media to react to Jannik Sinner’s three month ban from tennis handed to him by the doping authority, WADA.
Sinner, who won the Australian Open in January, reached a settlement with WADA, which will see him suspended from February 9 until May 4.
The 23-year-old returned two positive tests for metabolite clostebol – a muscle-building steroid back in March in 2024.
At the time, Sinner was handed a provisional suspension, but after a successful challenge, was allowed to carry on competing.
The Italian has avoided a one to two year ban initially sought by WADA and will therefore be eligible to compete in the next Grand Slam when the French Open begins on May 19.
WADA said it accepted Sinner’s explanation that the banned substance clostebol was inadvertently delivered to the tennis star by his physiotherapist.
In a statement, WADA said: “However, under the code and by virtue of Cas precedent, an athlete bears responsibility for the entourage’s negligence. Based on the unique set of facts of this case, a three-month suspension is deemed to be an appropriate outcome.”
In a statement released by his lawyers, Sinner said: “This case had been hanging over me for nearly a year and the process still had a long time to run with a decision maybe only at the end of the year.
“I have always accepted that I am responsible for my team and realise WADA’s strict rules are an important protection for the sport I love. On that basis I have accepted WADA’s offer to resolve these proceedings on the basis of a three-month sanction.”
After the news went public, Australian tennis star Kyrgios, who has been vocal on doping in tennis, gave his damning opinion on the ban.
In three separate posts on X, he wrote: “DODGY AS,” before adding: “So wada come out and say it would be a 1-2 year ban. Obviously sinners team have done everything in their power to just go ahead and take a 3 month ban.
“No titles lost, no prize money lost. Guilty or not? Sad day for tennis. Fairness in tennis does not exist.”
Kyrgios then said: “I know a lot of players that are feeling the same way at the moment so looking to hold live spaces next week so we can talk about it – stay tuned for exact time.”
The Australian has previously called for Sinner to receive a lengthy ban after his positive result became public last year.
“Whether it was accidental or planned, you get tested twice with a banned substance you should be gone for two years,” Kyrgios said back in August.
“Your performance was enhanced.”
WADA have said that for Sinner it was not seeking the ‘disqualification of any results’ aside from the Indian Wells ruling that had previously been made.
Sinner was required to forfeit his 400 ranking points from that tournament and prize money of $325,000.
The three-month ban will see Sinner miss four Masters 1000 events: Indian Wells, Miami, Monte-Carlo, and Madrid but will see him return ahead of his home Italian Open, and the French Open in May.
The 23-year-old is the second high-ranking player to agree a doping ban in recent months.
World No 2 Iga Swiatek accepted a one-month suspension in November, having tested positive for the banned substance trimetazidine (TMZ).
The Pole had been provisionally suspended from 12 September until 4 October, missing three tournaments as a result and forced to forfeit her prize money for the Cincinnati Open.
WADA have said Sinner can begin ‘official training activity’ from April 13, the next tournament will be eligible for is the Italian Open, which begins on May 7.
