Roger Federer recently shared his thoughts on Jannik Sinner’s doping controversy. While the Swiss expressed his belief in the World No. 1’s innocence, he also raised questions about how the case was handled.
In August, it was disclosed that Sinner had tested positive for the banned substance Clostebol twice. The first instance was during the Indian Wells Masters in March, and the second came just eight days later.
Following an investigation, ITIA concluded that the Italian was not at fault or negligent. He clarified that Clostebol had entered his system through his former physiotherapist, Giacomo Naldi, who had used a spray containing the substance to treat a wound. As a result, he faced no ban but had to forfeit the prize money and ranking points earned at Indian Wells.
The situation caused quite a stir, with many tennis figures sharing their different views. Roger Federer was the latest to weigh in during an appearance on ‘The Today Show‘ on September 3 and he said:
“I understand it’s a tricky situation. It’s the nightmare of every athlete and team to have these allegations and these problems because we fill out these forms all day every day. And it lives with you.”
“Every morning when you wake up, you think, ‘Is somebody at the door coming to test me?’ So it’s really difficult. I understand the frustration of, ‘Has he been treated the same as others? And I think this is where it comes down to,” he added.
The 20-time Grand Slam champion continued:
“I think we all trust pretty much that Jannik didn’t do anything, but the inconsistency potentially that he didn’t have to sit out while they weren’t 100 percent sure what was going on, I think that’s the question here that needs to be answered. But look, it is what it is, and we need to trust the process as well of anyone involved here.”