It seems February isn’t a month of love for everyone! Just a day after Valentine’s Day, WADA imposed a 3-month ban on Jannik Sinner, despite stating, “Sinner did not intend to cheat.” And, ten days later, the Italian star made a striking appearance at Milan Fashion Week, donning an all-black Gucci ensemble. While he remained well within the boundaries of his suspension from the court, his presence in Milan sparked outrage among fans. However, Serena Williams’ ex-coach Rennae Stubbs has swiftly come to Sinner’s defense again.

Sinner’s collaboration with Gucci began in 2022. Blossoming into more than just a sponsorship, it became a creative partnership that refined his style. From Wimbledon 2023 to the ATP Finals and Roland Garros 2024, the Italian top seed consistently turned heads with his impeccable Gucci ensembles, seamlessly blending sports and high fashion. At the recent Milan Fashion Week on February 25, Sinner embodied effortless sophistication, sporting a sleek all-black outfit paired with crisp white sneakers. Seated beside fashion icon Anna Wintour, the editor-in-chief of Vogue, his presence in the front row reinforced his increasing influence on the worlds of tennis and fashion.

However, Sinner’s off-court pursuits have not been without controversy lately. His out-of-court settlement with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) drew backlash from fans fellow players alike, including the Aussie Nick Kyrgios, Daniil Medvedev, Stan Wawrinka and even the Serb maestro Novak Djoković. Concerns have been voiced regarding potential favoritism, with the process leading to Sinner’s three-month ban and the fairness of the resolution being questioned. And just as the controversy seemed to settle in, outrage sparked once more when a fan criticized Sinner’s presence at Milan Fashion Week. But, as expected, Stubbs was quick to step in, defending the Italian.

It all unfolded on X when The Tennis Channel shared a post on February 25, stating, “Front row in Milan 🇮🇹🌟 @janniksin attends Gucci’s Fashion Week Show as their Global Brand Ambassador.” Later that day, Chris Nolen, a fan page on X known for supporting Novak Djokovic, re-shared the same post while referencing past player bans related to doping.

“It’s fair to ask.. were Halep, Sharapova, or anyone else who ever served out a doping-related ban ever promoted by some of the biggest tennis accounts during said ban?” the fan page wrote. And, yesterday, the former coach of Serena Williams, Rennae Stubbs, shared her remarks on the post, adding, “Because he was cleared of any wrongdoing. “He” is serving a ban based on his team’s incompetence in the eyes of WADA. The afore mentioned players had different suspensions,”

Well, this was not the first time Stubbs came to rescue of Sinner. After his 3-month ban was confirmed by WADA, Stubbs shared her honest opinion in one of the episodes of her podcast, The Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast, aired on 19th February. “The guy has gone on to win two Grand Slams since the initial findings, and now you want to suspend him? It’s embarrassing. And I feel bad for him because everyone is saying we conveniently got this. Well, not really. In a lot of ways, this is WADA’s problem. This is WADA’s fault for putting themselves and him in this situation. Why did they change the goalposts now? That is what I don’t understand,” she said.

As things stand, the Sinner’s ban is set to be lifted just days before the Italian Open, scheduled to begin on May 7 in Rome. Until then, he is barred from attending any ATP or ITF event. However, with mounting challenges already weighing on Sinner, he has now suffered another setback.

“Three-month ban renders the nomination ineligible” — Sean Fitzpatrick on the Sinner Laureus nomination

Owing to his 3-month ban, Jannik Sinner’s nomination for the Laureus World Sports Awards has been withdrawn. The Laureus World Sports Awards is an annual ceremony that honors the finest athletes across the sporting genres with exceptional performances throughout the year. And let’s be honest: not everyone takes home this prestigious accolade!

In 2024, Novak Djokovic claimed the honor, and after a sensational breakthrough season last year and his recent AO triumph, Sinner was a strong contender for this year’s award. However, in an unexpected twist, Laureus World Sports Academy chairman Sean Fitzpatrick issued a statement that no one saw coming!

“Following discussions by the Laureus Academy, it has been decided that Jannik Sinner’s Nomination for this year’s Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award is to be withdrawn. We have followed this case and the decisions of the relevant global bodies and – whilst we note the extenuating circumstances involved – feel that the three-month ban renders the nomination ineligible. Jannik and his team have been informed,” Fitzpatrick stated. 

Do you think agree with this decision especially after WADA itself declared that the case was “million miles” away from doping? Share your thoughts in the comments below.