Jannik Sinner: 3 Reasons He Will Remain Hated After Ban
World No. 1 Jannik Sinner is back on the tennis map once again. The Italian served a three-month doping suspension between February and May and is now ready to kickstart his journey again. Despite the controversy surrounding his saga, the Italian has received much criticism from former and current tennis players.
Many critics, including Nick Kyrgios, believe that the Italian should have been suspended for a far longer time than he originally was. Simona Halep and Maria Sharapova were the obvious cases in this regard, who got suspended for more than a year. As Sinner is now back, the Italian wants to make a statement. However, he will continue to receive hate regardless of what he does in 2025 and beyond.
1. The New Doping Scandal
When Sinner was undergoing his three-month suspension, another doping scandal emerged. Australian tennis star and former Wimbledon champion Max Purcell tested positive for breaching Article 2.2 of the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme (TADP). The Australian was reported to have two intravenous infusions of over 500 mL, while TADP only allows a limit of 100 mL. As a result, Purcell was suspended for 18 months, which he accepted, as seen on his Instagram account.
Considering Sinner was suspended for three months, it attracted further criticism towards the World No. 1. Many fellow Australians, like John Millman and Nick Kyrgios, once again attacked Sinner for getting away with a similar verdict just because he had a bigger profile. It should be noted that Iga Swiatek also tested positive for a doping test last year and only received a one-month suspension, which she served in December. When Sinner returns to the ATP Tour at the Rome Masters, the hate will not disappear because of this newly emerged case of Purcell. The double standards will continue to be highlighted between the two cases.
2. The Dressing Room Bust Up
Sinner recently gave a dramatic interview on Raiplay, saying he was close to giving up on the sport. However, he also shared a confession about how everyone in the dressing room looked upon him. “Before the Australian Open this year, I was in a not-so-happy moment. Arriving there in Australia I didn’t feel comfortable in the locker room, where I went to eat… the players looked at me differently. I didn’t like it.”
This shows that players are not satisfied with the verdict on Sinner. Considering that so many of his critics have connections inside the tennis dressing room, they will use it to their advantage to get a response from World No.1. Stanislas Wawrinka and Nick Kyrgios are the biggest critics of the Italian, and they have never hidden their criticism of him. Hence, rough moments are coming for Sinner inside the dressing room, and he had better buckle up.
3. Wins Attract Hate
As we have seen in the case of Novak Djokovic, when you are winning all the time, the entire world waits for the day when you fall. Sinner has not lost an official tennis match since October last year. His last defeat was a close three-set loss in the China Open final against Carlos Alcaraz. The hate has multiplied because of his hot winning streak and the doping scandal.
Now, it’s all about maintaining the flow of wins he had before the doping scandal. Sinner has the Rome Masters and the Hamburg Open to prepare for Roland Garros. If he is successful in both of these events, the next few months won’t be surprising for him. Considering the fitness issues of Alcaraz and the motivational issues of Djokovic, stranger things can happen in the French capital.
