World number one tennis player Sinner suspected of violating doping ban

Jannik Sinner at the 2025 Australian Open in January. Photo by Australian Open

A video posted by The Tennis Letter on social platform X appears to show Sinner training during the Qatar Open on Feb. 14, five days after the ban. If the video is verified, this would be a violation of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) ban, which restricts him from practicing at official tennis facilities or with other players until April 14, with his competitive return set for May 4.

The incident has sparked controversy, with fans commenting that Sinner seems to have ignored the ban because he knows he is receiving preferential treatment from tennis organizations.

The 23-year-old had previously agreed to a three-month suspension with WADA and the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) as a way to take responsibility for the mistakes of a member of his coaching staff in a failed doping test in March 2024.

The three-month ban from WADA does not affect Sinner's participation in Grand Slam events. The ban began 15 days after he won the Australian Open, and ended around 20 days before Roland Garros. This is believed to be an intentional arrangement by the organizations handling the case, although WADA had previously wanted to suspend Sinner for one or two years.

After Sinner's three-month ban was announced on Feb. 15, a wave of protests against WADA and Sinner rose. Several big-name players, including Novak Djokovic, Stan Wawrinka and Nick Kyrgios, have voiced against the ban, saying Sinner was favored in this case, which is unfair compared to the previous long-term doping ban of other players.

Sinner's compromise suggests he has accepted WADA's offer, rather than fighting to clear his name. "It's hard for fans around the world to forgive a player for doping, right or wrong. Sinner will forever be associated with the term doping cheat," Australian News wrote.

"Obviously, Sinner's team have done everything in their power to just go ahead and take a 3-month ban, no titles lost, no prize money lost. Sad day for tennis," Australian player Kyrgios wrote on X.

A three-time Grand Slam champion, Sinner is currently number one on world tennis ranking and is considered the best player at the moment.