Andrea Petkovic, a former French Open semi-finalist, has put forth an intriguing theory regarding the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) decision to ban Jannik Sinner, even though the agency acknowledged that the Italian tennis star did not intentionally violate anti-doping rules.
Sinner, the world’s top-ranked tennis player and a three-time Grand Slam winner, was handed a three-month suspension by WADA, ruling him out of competition from February 9th to May 4th. This decision has sparked widespread debate and speculation, with many observers questioning whether the renowned player received preferential treatment.
The original plan was for Sinner to appear in a Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) hearing in mid-April, where he faced the risk of a year or two suspension. The sudden shift from WADA, from seeking a longer ban to settling for a three-month suspension, has sparked curiosity about what led to the agency’s change in stance.
Speaking on the Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast, Petkovic described the decision as a complex one, with political undertones. She suggested that WADA initially didn’t recognize the magnitude of Sinner’s influence in the sport, and their decision to negotiate the ban was an attempt to avoid potential backlash.
Petkovic stated, “This is a political decision, nobody is happy with it, yes there was negotiation but there was nuance when they [WADA] decided he didn’t cheat, they didn’t know who he was. Now, they know who he was and that’s why he was able to negotiate. If WADA messes up on this one with Jannik Sinner, who was the No. 1 player in the world, won multiple Grand Slams, everyone in the world is talking about it.”
She further clarified her perspective by explaining that WADA did not want other players to blame their team members for any future violations. She stated, “Why are we banning the kid? This kid didn’t cheat, we believe his story, why are we banning him? I think because they realized if they let this slide, every player from now on will say, ‘But it was a member of my team.’ And then they are in real trouble.”
Indeed, WADA’s statement confirmed that Sinner’s physiotherapist was responsible for the violation, but also emphasized that players should bear responsibility for their team’s errors. This sentiment seems to underscore Petkovic’s theory, indicating that the ban might have been an attempt to enforce accountability within teams, rather than a punishment for intentional wrongdoing.
