The Jannik Sinner case continues to smolder over the tennis world. Will the star player be banned for doping? Boris Becker criticizes the way outsiders deal with the issue.
From mid-January, the yellow ball will race across the hard court again: in Melbourne, the tennis elite will be fighting for the first Grand Slam victory of the year at the Australian Open. The top favorite among men is Jannik Sinner, number one in the world. He also won the tournament Down Under last year when he defeated Daniil Medvedev in the final. But the current question is: How long will Sinner still be allowed to play?
Suspicions of doping have been simmering over the 23-year-old Italian’s picture-perfect career for months. The situation: In August 2024, the International Tennis Integrity Agency announced that Sinner had tested positive for the banned steroid Clostebol at a tournament in March and a training check a few days later. The player claimed that the banned substance entered his body through massages by a supervisor who had treated a wound on his own finger with Trofodermin spray containing Clostebol. Sinner was subsequently acquitted by an independent court.
A short time later, the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) got involved. She sees the acquittal as unlawful. The consequence: Wada appealed and demanded “a ban of between one and two years” for Sinner. A decision in this regard will most likely not be made before the Cas International Court of Arbitration for Sport in a few weeks.
However, the fact that outsiders have been forming their opinions on the case for months now is massively bothering a German tennis legend: Boris Becker. The 57-year-old chose clear words about this on Wednesday.
In a Eurosport media round, at which t-online was also present, the six-time Grand Slam winner said of Sinner that the WADA verdict was “decisive” for him. “Whether he will be banned and if so, for how long. We will all be smarter in February,” said Becker.
When asked more specifically about his assessment of the doping case, the ex-professional then became clear. “I’m not going to add my two cents now after an incredible number of unqualified, ignorant people have added their two cents,” said Becker. “I think it’s an absolute disgrace who spoke up. Save me from mentioning the names.”
It is not clear who exactly Becker means. But the fact is: There was criticism of Sinner’s acquittal from some quarters. Doping expert Fritz Sörgel in particular has repeatedly expressed doubts about Sinner’s innocence in the case in recent months. Tennis professionals like Nick Kyrgios, Denis Shapovalov and Lucas Pouille also did not spare criticism.
However, since the doping case became known, there have also been numerous Sinner’s supporters, including Rafael Nadal, who stood behind the accused in September 2024 and emphasized: “If he was not punished, it was because the judge clearly saw that he did not dope.”
“Everyone else should hold back”
Boris Becker roughly broke down the Sinner case again on Wednesday. “There are clear regulations for Sinner and there were clear regulations for Świątek,” he initially explained. Iga Świątek, second in the women’s world rankings, also tested positive for a banned substance at the French Open last year and was subsequently banned for a month. The cause was apparently contaminated medication.
“They stuck to what they were legally allowed to do. Period,” explained Becker. “There was a decision for both of them and you have to respect it.” But now Wada has intervened and reopened the case, “because tennis is an Olympic sport and that is their right.”