Jannik Sinner wins Wimbledon 2025. |
Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek - not only won the crown at the world's most prestigious Grand Slam tournament, but also caused a stir in the tennis world because of their recent past associated with banned substances.
The irony is that their glory is no longer a pure symphony of talent and dedication, but mixed with murmurs, doubts and even criticism from their own colleagues in the tennis world.
“Because we have been through difficult times”
When asked about the mixed reactions from the public and experts, Jannik Sinner did not shy away: “Iga and I talked to each other. We celebrated even more because we understood what we had been through. Only I and those close to me knew how stressful everything was.”
Sinner wasn’t wrong. He tested positive for clostebol, an anabolic steroid, twice in March 2024. Fortunately (or cleverly), the Italian escaped serious punishment after claiming he had been exposed to the banned substance… on the hands of a physiotherapist.
The story sounds bizarre, but it ultimately convinced anti-doping agencies. After reaching a settlement with WADA, Sinner was banned for just three months, returning in time to play Roland Garros and then win Wimbledon.
Swiatek was similarly unlucky. The women’s world number one tested positive for trimetazidine (TMZ), which is banned for its ability to improve endurance. The ITIA concluded that it was an “inadvertent cross-contamination” from an over-the-counter drug purchased in Poland. The result: she was banned for a full month—an unprecedentedly light punishment for a positive test.
However, will the explanation of the "unintentional mistake" be enough to clear away doubts in the hearts of fans?
It’s not hard to see why both champions are still being warmly received on court. They are top-notch players, playing top-notch tennis, and never seem to lose the support of neutrals.
Jannik Sinner was once involved in controversy when he was involved in doping. |
But experts and colleagues are not so lenient. Nick Kyrgios bluntly said: "Two world number one players both caught doping is terrible for tennis. This is a disgrace that we are trying to ignore."
Legend Serena Williams bitterly said that if she had been infected with clostebol like Sinner, "I would have been suspended for 20 years and stripped of a few Grand Slam titles".
Simona Halep – who was banned for four years before it was reduced to nine months – could not believe the leniency of Swiatek. And Tim Henman, the former British number one, said sharply: “When you see the words ‘deal’ or ‘set-up’ in doping cases, people have the right to be skeptical. Because the rules of doping are black and white, not grey.”
Celebrity perks?
Many have argued that if it weren't for Sinner or Swiatek - top players who can afford good lawyers - the outcome would have been very different.
Tara Moore, a British tennis player who was banned for nearly two years before being cleared, pointed out that the current system prioritises the image of stars over fairness for all.
Novak Djokovic, co-founder of the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA), put it bluntly: “It feels like if you are a top player, can hire good lawyers, then you can change the whole system.”
The question is, if the clostebol was the result of a mistake by Sinner's therapist, why hasn't he been punished? And would WADA have dared to take the case to a sports tribunal if the main character wasn't a Grand Slam champion?
Many people think that Sinner should receive a heavier penalty for doping. |
While the media and general public may have been able to let it slide, experts were not. “This is an embarrassing blemish on Wimbledon – a rare and unpleasant coincidence,” said media expert Tim Jotischky. “But what is more troubling is the lack of consistency in how the incidents were handled.”
According to him, the reason why the wave of anger has not yet erupted is because tennis still maintains the image of a "clean" sport - unlike athletics or cycling, where doping has destroyed public trust.
However, if incidents like this continue and are handled in a “soft on stars” manner, sooner or later that trust will collapse.
No one denies that Sinner and Swiatek are excellent players. They performed at the top of their game, winning titles that were deserved in terms of their skills. But tennis - if it is to maintain its reputation as a sport of integrity and honesty - cannot ignore the questions that remain.
In elite sport, glory is more than just the scoreboard. It is also the public trust, the flawless image in front of the camera. And as much as they want to celebrate, neither Swiatek nor Sinner can erase the asterisk that accompanies their titles.
Source: https://znews.vn/vet-xuoc-tren-chuc-vo-dich-wimbledon-cua-sinner-post1569066.html
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