Djokovic slams ‘lack of consistency’ in tennis after Sinner ruling

NEW YORK – Novak Djokovic understands why some tennis players are questioning whether there is a double standard in the sport after Jannik Sinner was not banned despite twice testing positive for doping, saying on Saturday he agreed there was a “lack of consistency.”

Sinner tested positive twice in March for an anabolic steroid, but the International Tennis Integrity Agency ruled that the banned performance-enhancing substance entered his system inadvertently through a massage from his physiotherapist.

The ruling was announced Tuesday, less than a week before Sinner starts the US Open as the top seed. Djokovic, who won the tournament last year to claim a record 24th Grand Slam men’s singles title, is seeded second.

“I understand how frustrated the players are with the lack of consistency,” Djokovic said. “As I understand it, he was cleared the moment it was announced.”

Some players commented on social media after the news broke, wondering if Sinner had been given a chance because of his status as one of the best players in the game.

“We see a lack of uniform and clear protocols. I can understand the feelings of many players who wonder if they are being treated the same,” Djokovic said.

Djokovic said the ATP, which he co-founded, is advocating on behalf of players for clear, fair protocols and standardized approaches to cases.

“Many players… have had similar or very similar situations where they didn’t get the same result, and the question now is whether it’s a money issue – whether a player can afford to pay a large sum of money to a law firm that would represent his case more efficiently,” Djokovic said.

Carlos Alcaraz, the 2022 US Open champion, said the Sinner case was a sensitive one.

“I think there’s something behind this that a lot of people don’t know. I don’t even know it. In the end, it’s a very difficult thing to talk about,” Alcaraz said.

“In the end, he tested positive, but there must have been a reason that allowed him to continue playing, which we don’t know. So I can’t say much about it. He’s been cleared, so we have Yannick in the tournament, so there’s not much to say about him and I can’t add anything else.”