Novak Djokovic has never shied away from speaking his mind. And he didn’t hold back when talking about Jannik Sinner’s controversial doping case.
You might think Sinner’s doping situation is old news by now. But it keeps popping up in conversations.
After all, we’re talking about the world’s top-ranked player getting banned for having a banned substance in his system. That’s not something tennis fans are going to forget anytime soon.
| Name | Age | Points | Stats 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Novak Djokovic | 38 | 8,360 | 18 - 6 |
An Unlikely Interview
The topic came up during a pretty surprising interview between Djokovic and Piers Morgan. Yeah, the same Piers Morgan who absolutely slammed Djokovic three years ago when the Serbian star got deported from Australia.
But people change their minds, right? Morgan actually apologized to the 24-time Grand Slam champion and sat down for a chat.
Morgan’s been just as critical about how Sinner’s case was handled. He’s accused tennis authorities of giving the Italian special treatment because of his ranking.
That didn’t stop him from posing for photos with Sinner at the Six Kings Slam though.
The Cloud That Won’t Disappear
When Morgan asked the 10-time Australian Open champion about Sinner’s situation, Djokovic got pretty real about it.
"That cloud will follow him, as the cloud of COVID will follow me, for the rest of his career. It was something that was so major, when it happens, over time it will fade, but I don’t think it will disappear. There is always going to be a certain group of people who will try to bring that forward."
It’s a pretty honest take. Djokovic knows firsthand what it’s like to have controversy follow you around.
A Friendship That Goes Way Back
Here’s something most people don’t know – Djokovic has known Sinner since the kid was just 14 years old.
They used to practice together at Riccardo Piatti’s academy when Sinner was still a teenager trying to make it in tennis.
"I’ve known Jannik since he was 14 years of age, because his first serious coach, who was working with him in those crucial years, was my coach as well, Riccardo Piatti. And I used to train quite a bit at Piatti’s academy in Italy, and I was practicing with Sinner when he was a junior, and I like him a lot, because he was always skinny like I was, and he always came across very genuine."
That’s a pretty sweet connection, honestly. Two skinny kids grinding it out on the practice courts.
Red Flags Everywhere
But their friendship didn’t stop Djokovic from calling out what he saw as major problems with how the whole thing was handled.
"So when this happened, I was shocked, honestly. I do think that he didn’t do it on purpose. But the way the whole case was handled is so many red flags. The lack of transparency, the inconsistency, the convenience of the ban coming between the Slams, so he doesn’t miss out… It’s just… it was very, very odd. So I really don’t like how that case was being handled."
The timing really was suspicious. Sinner’s brief ban happened to fall perfectly between major tournaments.
Other players noticed too.
"You could hear so many other players, both male and female, who had some similar situations coming out in the media and complaining that it was a preferable treatment."
The Double Standard
Djokovic pointed out something that’s been bugging a lot of people in tennis. The inconsistency in how these cases get handled.
"I want to believe him. Knowing my history with him, I think he didn’t do it on purpose, but, of course, he is responsible. Because those are the rules, you are responsible when something like this happens. And so when you see someone for something very similar or the same being banned banned years, and he’s banned for three months or whatever it was, it’s not right."
Some players get banned for years. Sinner got a few months that conveniently didn’t interfere with his tournament schedule.
Respect Where It’s Due
Despite all the criticism about how the case was handled, Djokovic had nothing but praise for how Sinner’s dealt with the pressure.
"It’s not easy for him. I do have a sense of empathy and compassion for him. I think he’s handled the storm in the media that keeps coming back every once in a while. He’s handling that very maturely and steadily, and kudos to him for that. And in the midst of all of that, he’s still dominating and playing incredible, winning Slams."
That’s pretty amazing when you think about it. Having this controversy hanging over your head while still playing at the highest level? That takes some serious mental strength.
The 24-year-old has continued winning major tournaments even with all the questions and scrutiny following him around.
It’s a complicated situation that probably won’t have a clean ending. But at least we’re getting some honest perspectives on what really went down.
