Following the decision against Swiatek, Simona Halep was among the competitors who voiced concerns regarding the varying approaches to handling instances of prohibited substance use.
The athlete from Romania faced a four-year suspension in 2023 for two breaches of regulations against performance-enhancing substances, which was subsequently shortened to nine months after a formal challenge.
Reflecting upon both situations in December, Kyrgios commented: “I believe efforts are being made to conceal it. The way it has been managed within our athletic discipline is, in my view, terrible. For our sport, it is appalling that two individuals who reached the top ranking have been sanctioned for prohibited substance usage. It casts a shadow upon our field.”
Following Sinner’s restriction, celebrated Spanish competitor Rafael Nadal voiced his “100%” conviction in the innocence of the Italian athlete, while former British leading player Tim Henman suggested the restriction seemed “excessively convenient,” potentially leaving followers of the sport with a “rather unpleasant impression.”
“The handling of performance-enhancing substances in sports necessitates a clear and absolute approach; it’s a matter of being either positive or negative, resulting in either a suspension or no suspension,” he conveyed to Sky Sports.
“When encountering terms such as settlement or agreement, it creates the impression of negotiations having taken place, which I anticipate will not resonate positively with the community of athletes and followers of the sport.”
Serena Williams posited that, had she engaged in a similar infringement of anti-doping protocols as Sinner, the current leading male athlete globally, she would have been subjected to a 20-year ban and faced forfeiture of some of her Grand Slam victories.
British player Tara Moore, who was temporarily prohibited from competition for a period of two years pending the resolution of a prohibited substance allegation—from which she was ultimately exonerated after 19 months—also implied that distinguished players receive “dissimilar treatment,” prioritizing their public image.
The ITIA and Wada robustly refuted the claims of biased handling and differing standards.
The ITIA has additionally emphasized a 26% rise in examinations for prohibited substances in 2024 compared to the prior year, asserting that player education concerning anti-doping regulations remains a key objective.
However, numerous individuals hold the perspective that both players have gained from their capacity to engage premier legal representatives to expedite actions.
“The overarching sentiment among athletes is that the situation is inequitable,” remarked Novak Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam victor. “The perception is that, if you are a prominent player with access to top-tier legal assistance, you can almost influence the result.”
The Professional Tennis Players’ Association (PTPA)—an entity co-established by Djokovic with the intention of augmenting player empowerment—stated there exists a deficiency in “transparency,” “procedure,” and “uniformity” within the structure.
Stan Wawrinka, a three-time Grand Slam champion, expressed on social media his sentiment of no longer “believing in an untainted sport.”
