In a year filled with thrilling matches and unexpected twists, the tennis world was blindsided by an entirely different kind of shock—doping scandals involving two of the sport’s brightest stars, Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek. The revelations sent shockwaves through the tennis community, prompting a spectrum of reactions ranging from disbelief to calls for reform. The fallout has been as varied as it has been vocal. Among them, French tennis player Adrian Mannarino has also expressed his candid views.

In an interview with RMC Sport, Mannarino expressed his frustration and skepticism. “I don’t believe in Santa Claus anymore. If there are those who want to believe in him, they can believe in him, but it’s none of my business,” he said “I’m willing to give them credit, but it’s still surprising because last year there were two positive tests out of 300 and both were world number 1s. So, I’m willing to accept that you can inadvertently take the wrong pill or the wrong vitamin, but it’s still very surprising.”

The cases in question are indeed perplexing. Jannik Sinner, the Italian prodigy, tested positive twice for clostebol during the Indian Wells in March 2024. The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) determined that the contamination resulted from his physiotherapist’s use of a clostebol-containing spray to treat a cut which he inadvertently transferred to Sinner during massages. Consequently, Sinner was stripped of his prize money and ranking points from the Indian Wells tournament but faced no further suspension after it was declared that he bore “no fault or negligence.”

However, later on, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) appealed the case in the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) and it will now be tried in 2025.

As far as Iga Swiatek’s case is concerned, she tested positive for trimetazidine (TMZ), a banned substance, in August 2024. The Pole was, however, able to prove that the source was a contaminated pill of melatonin she took for jet lag and sleep issues. She had to concede the prize money she had earned after her semi-final appearance at the Cincinnati Open and lost 390 ranking points which dethroned her from her No.1 spot. Swiatek also received a one-month suspension, which she has already served.

Nick Kyrgios has been a constant critic of such cases believing that the players were left off the hook too easily. Talking about Jannik Sinner’s case the Aussie player wrote on X, “Ridiculous – whether it was accidental or planned. You get tested twice with a banned (steroid) substance… you should be gone for 2 years. Your performance was enhanced. Massage cream…. Yeah, nice.”

While Kyrgios’s critique echoes the skepticism of many, others in the tennis world have opted for a more supportive stance.

Andy Roddick takes a supportive stand on Sinner and Swiatek’s doping cases”

The ex-American player Andy Roddick has been firm in his support of Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek.  He has defended them on numerous occasions believing their innocence.

Roddick made an appearance on Christian Court’s YouTube channel on December 11. In a conversation, he said, “Are we going to cling to a billionth of a gram of something that hasn’t enhanced performance? What are we trying to solve with the ITIA and then with the WADA?” He further said, “It’s unfortunate I think it’s just really proving that we need consistency with messaging. We need clear outlines of rules! You go on the ITIA site and they say 40 or 30%, I forgot the number but somewhere around there of positives are from contaminated supplements that you and I probably take. But we’re not getting tested on a billionth of a gram of something.“

This is something that even the WADA has noted which is why they have recently announced plans to revise its criteria by 2027. The proposed changes include not penalizing athletes for minimal traces of banned substances and introducing the concept of “source contamination.” WADA intends to establish minimum concentration levels, below which a substance would not be considered a positive test.

The doping cases involving Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek have shaken the tennis world. With opinions split, whose stance do you agree with?