A verdict is supposed to settle things once and for all. But Jannik Sinner’s case? It’s done the exact opposite. What started as a doping charge, cleared by the ITIA, was reopened by WADA—only for it to end in a settlement. And now, instead of putting the matter to rest, it has only fueled more debate. Some of the biggest names in tennis aren’t buying it. Novak Djokovic believes the decision reeks of “favoritism.” Stan Wawrinka is so frustrated that he doesn’t “believe in a clean sport” anymore. But a former WTA No.1 and coach sees things a little differently.

Speaking on her podcast, ‘The Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast’, Rennae Stubbs didn’t hold back. She called out WADA’s handling of the case, saying, “WADA needed this win. They needed to be able to say, to have some integrity, to have some, you know, semblance of power, still, to say we’re still going to suspend you.”

Her main issue? The timing.

“My thing is, this happened over a well, happened essentially a year ago. We are now suspending here for 2-3 months. It’s so ridiculous. It looks so bad from WADA and you know, people come after me, he’s a doper. Like, read what the ITIA, came out with originally when they of course, did not know it was Jannik Sinner.”

Jannik Sinner’s doping case began back in March when he tested positive for clostebol.While an independent panel cleared him, believing the positive test was due to accidental contamination, WADA wasn’t satisfied. They took the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, pushing for a much harsher two-year suspension. After months of back-and-forth, WADA finally agreed to a three-month ban, stating that the Italian tennis player “did not intend to cheat” and that the substance “did not provide any performance-enhancing benefit.” 

Earlier this year, on her podcast, Serena Williams’ ex-coach actually predicted Sinner’s ban, saying, “This WADA situation is such a joke, I mean it’s such a joke. How can the ITIA say no fault for you, and then WADA decides months later: ‘You know what, that’s not quite satisfactory for us, we want him to pay for his team doing something stupid, but we are going to wait until April.’ Are you kidding me?… I guarantee you – look out – I think they are going to ban him. It’s going to be a terrible look for tennis.”

So what does WADA have to say about these accusations?

WADA says they are ‘blind to the calendar’ amidst Jannik Sinner doping case

Jannik Sinner’s suspension will keep him out of Indian Wells, the Miami Open, the Monte-Carlo Masters, and the Madrid Open. But it ends on May 4th, which gives him the opportunity to participate in the Italian Open just weeks before the French Open. The timing of the ban—allowing the World No.1 to return just before the second grand slam of the year—has raised eyebrows, with many calling it “too convenient.” Despite the backlash, WADA insists there was no special treatment involved.

Ross Wenzel, a senior figure at WADA, defended the decision in an interview with BBC Sport. He said, “When we look at these cases, we try to look at them technically, operationally, and we don’t do it with fear of what the public and the politicians or anyone is going to say.”

He also emphasized that the suspension wasn’t adjusted based on upcoming tournaments. “The sanctions that we impose and the code even says this, they’re blind to the calendar. The correct sanction should be imposed and it comes into effect when it comes into effect and it shouldn’t be modulated or modified to take into account whether the events that are coming up are significant or not significant.”

Wenzel also stated that WADA introduced the case resolution agreement rule in 2021, allowing them to strike deals with athletes. Since then, around 67 such agreements have been reached. Well, the verdict may be final, but the debate? Far from over.