French tennis coach Nicolas Escude has commented on the agreement reached between the world's top-ranked player, Italian Jannik Sinner, and the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
He had been playing for almost a year with this huge stress on his shoulders and it is likely that he could no longer bear this situation. This deal is very convenient for him, but it is bad for tennis. This agreement leaves many questions open and will be mentioned in all other future cases.
NicolasEscude, quoted by Tennis World USA
Recently, WADA suspended Jannik Sinner for three months, causing him to miss tournaments in Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, and Madrid.
In 2024, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) reported that Sinner faced accusations of using banned substances.
However, it was later revealed that Sinner was able to avoid a lengthy suspension since an independent body investigating the violations found no evidence of intentional substance use.
Former world number one and Serbian player Novak Djokovic had previously criticized the decision to suspend Jannik Sinner for three months.
Additionally, the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) accused WADA of inconsistency in the wake of the Italian athlete's doping suspension.
