Canadian men’s tennis player Denis Shapovalov is never shy to speak his mind, both on and off the court.
He did so again on Tuesday after it was announced that world No. 1 Jannik Sinner would not be suspended despite twice testing positive for a banned anabolic steroid in March.
Sinner was not suspended because an independent tribunal said it was not intentional. The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) announced the case on Tuesday.
“Can’t imagine what every other player that got banned for contaminated substances is feeling right now,” Shapovalov said on his personal X account.
“Different rules for different players,” Shapovalov added.
During the Indian Wells hard-court event in March, Sinner tested positive for low levels of a metabolite of Clostebol, a banned anabolic steroid that can be used for ophthalmological and dermatological use. It’s the same drug for which San Diego Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. was suspended by MLB.
Sinner tested positive again eight days later in an out-of-competition sample.
He was provisionally suspended because of those test results, but he successfully appealed and was allowed to keep competing on tour.
According to the ITIA, Sinner said his test results happened because a member of his support team used an over-the-counter spray that contained Clostebol to treat a small wound. That team member then gave Sinner massages.
The decision not to suspend Sinner caused quite a stir across the tennis landscape.
“Ridiculous – whether it was accidental or planned,” polarizing men’s tennis player Nick Kyrgios said on his personal X account. “You get tested twice with a banned (steroid) substance… you should be gone for 2 years. Your performance was enhanced. Massage cream…. Yeah nice”
“As Denis Shapovalov said: Different rules for different players,” Canadian tennis player and broadcaster Sharon Fichman said on X.
Part of the reason for the outcry seems to revolve around the fact that Sinner’s suspensions were lifted before the tribunal was put in place. In other cases, the athlete is required to sit out until the tribunal makes a ruling.
However, Sinner was allowed to continue to compete until an independent panel held a hearing on Aug. 15 and “determined a finding of No Fault or Negligence applied in the case, resulting in no period of ineligibility,” according to the ITIA.
“I will not put this challenging and deeply unfortunate period behind me,” Sinner said in a statement Tuesday. “I will continue to do everything I can to ensure I continue to comply with the ITIA’s anti-doping programme and I have my team around me that are meticulous in their own compliance.”
Sinner won the Cincinnati Open on Monday and will be among the favourites at the US Open, which starts in New York next week. Sinner made his debut at No. 1 in the ATP rankings in June and is considered among the top stars of the new generation in men’s tennis, along with Carlos Alcaraz.
Sinner, an Italian who turned 23 on Friday, won the Australian Open in January for his first Grand Slam title. He reached the semifinals at the French Open in June and the quarterfinals at Wimbledon in July, before sitting out the Paris Olympics, saying he had tonsilitis.
— With files from the Associated Press