Jannik Sinner’s challenges seem far from over. The Italian dynamo, who has been battling the fallout from a doping saga, now finds himself in deeper waters despite the ITIA ruling that cleared him of any wrongdoing. In a surprising twist, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has filed an appeal, demanding a lengthy ban on Sinner—a move that has reignited the controversy. Yet, even in the face of this adversity, Sinner isn’t standing alone. Several people in the tennis community have rallied around him, and the latest to voice support is none other than former pro, Mark Petchey.

In a bold move, WADA took a firm stance on Sinner’s doping case, stating that the Independent Tribunal’s decision of “no fault or negligence” was improper under the applicable standards. WADA further sought a ban of one to two years against Sinner in a strong response to the matter. However, this did not sit well with former British player Petchey, who expressed his support for Sinner.

Taking to his X account, Petchey wrote, “Just for the record there is ZERO scandal in the Sinner case. He and his lawyers worked within the framework of what the rules are in the situation he found himself and got a decision based on the evidence presented. No conspiracy, no cover up.” For the unversed, Sinner tested positive twice for low levels of a metabolite of clostebol during the Indian Wells tournament. Clostebol is a banned anabolic steroid that can be used in ophthalmological and dermatological treatments. However, the ruling of the Independent Tribunal went in his favor.

It was found that Sinner’s physio, Giacomo Naldi, had used an over-the-counter spray containing clostebol to treat a cut on his own finger. Naldi then massaged Sinner without gloves, inadvertently passing the substance to the player’s body. Petchey highlighted this crucial detail, adding, “WADA today have looked at it and decided that they want to appeal the decision based on the “no fault or negligence” was not correct under the applicable rules. This is how the law works every single day.” Interestingly, Petchy is not the only person to come out with such support for the star player.

Soon after WADA filed its appeal, Coco Gauff’s ex-coach Brad Gilbert, also came out in a similar support for Sinner. Expressing his surprise, Gilbert tweeted, “I am completely disheveled by this Wada decision, was 8000 times smaller then a gram of salt 🧂 this now will unfortunately take months to figure out.” Sinner himself, who is preparing to face Jiri Lehecka in the quarterfinals of the China Open, shared a similar reaction.

Responding to the appeal, Sinner said he was “very disappointed and also surprised” by WADA’s move, though he expressed respect for the anti-doping body’s decision. “Maybe they just want to make sure everything is in the right position,” he remarked. Meanwhile, this situation is expected to further intensify the struggles of the Italian player, who had already faced serious challenges over the matter.

“It wore him down,” When Jannik Sinner’s coach highlighted his troubles

Jannik Sinner had maintained a clean record until the doping saga came to light. Although he was cleared by the anti-doping agency, the controversy caused widespread criticism from the tennis community, taking a toll on the player. Sinner’s coach, Darren Cahill, who has supported him since the beginning, shed light on the difficulties his player faced.

During an appearance on ESPN, Cahill firmly stated, “Jannik would never do anything like that intentionally. It’s an unfortunate situation, but the truth came out.” Continuing further, he highlighted the troubles that Sinner faced due to the controversy. “You would have seen a big change in his physicality and excitement to be on the court, it wore him down physically and mentally, he got tonsillitis (and) missed the Olympics. We’re not looking for any sorrow. Just thankful there is no ban attached,” Cahill added earlier. 

For now, Sinner faces an unexpected turn of events. It will be interesting to see if the star player can overcome these challenges and continue his dominant run, as witnessed in the Cincinnati Masters and the US Open.