It has been a few days since WADA finally settled their case with Jannik Sinner. Initially proposing a stricter punishment of 1 or 2 years, the World Anti-Doping Agency withdrew its case from CAS, two months before the final verdict was to be delivered. While the circumstantiality of the case helped Sinner escape a major career threat, it also pulled him into another big controversy – one that questioned the system’s legitimacy. From Stan Wawrinka to Jessica Pegula, all showcased their disbelief over the process hinting at favoritism. Now the legendary Novak Djokovic joined the discussion with his powerful anecdotes, highlighting how narratives are not written by the winners often but by those who control the story. Talk about jumping from one fire into another.

For the unversed, Jannik Sinner tested positive for Clostebol twice in March. The banned substance entered his body when his former physio-therapist Giacomo Naldi massaged him after having used an ointment on himself. Despite claiming his innocence, he was suspended for eight days and his Indian Wells prize money was voided. However, WADA wasn’t convinced and appealed to CAS for a higher suspension. Five months later, in a surprising twist of events, WADA settled the case with Sinner outside the court, with both parties agreeing to a 3-month suspension (February 9 to May 4) before the final verdict in April. The entire process, from its eerie timeline to how it ultimately chalked out, propelled Djokovic to question the system’s fairness.

“It almost seems like you can influence the outcome if you are a top player and have access to the best lawyers. Sinner and Swiatek are innocent, it has been proven,“ began the Serb, who was the ATP No. 1 rank once for 428 consecutive weeks. He also slammed the verdict which believed in Sinner’s innocence, yet, put him in suspension for his team’s negligence. “Jannik will have a three-month suspension due to some mistakes and negligence of some members of his team, who are working on the tour. This is also something that I personally and many other players find strange,” he continued.

Djokovic’s words carried an underlying support for the now-popularized favoritism theory. He referred to Simona Halep and Tara Moore’s cases to make his argument. Halep faced 9 months of suspension after testing positive with Roxadustat and Moore battled 19 months of emotional distress after testing positive with nandrolone and boldenone. Although both parties “bore no fault or negligence,” according to ITIA, they were still declared guilty and their careers were scarred. Djokovic believed Sinner’s verdict was unjustified given Halep and Moore’s verdicts. “I think it is really time to do something and address the system, because it is clear that the structure is not working like this,” he said.

His sentiment was echoed in his organization PTPA’s statement which questioned the system’s transparency. “It’s not just the different results for different players. It’s the lack of transparency. The lack of process. The lack of consistency. The lack of credibility in the alphabet soup of agencies charged with regulating our sports and athletes,” they wrote in their official statement. Alongside Djokovic and PTPA, many tour athletes carried on in a similar vein.

Jessica Pegula and others show their disbelief over WADA’s step in Jannik Sinner’s case

Before starting her run at the Dubai Tennis Championship today, Pegula revealed her frustration about Sinner’s case in an interview with Gulf reporters. A WTA Council member, Pegula simply dismissed the flawed system: “The process is completely broken.  My reaction is that, whether you think he did or you don’t, or whatever side you’re on, the process just seems to be completely like not a process,” she said. After Pegula, Swiss pro Stan Wawrinka expressed the same. “I don’t believe in a clean sport anymore,” he tweeted disappointingly.

While their words oozed dissatisfaction with the process, Aryna Sabalenka’s statement showcased the fear the system has left on the players. “You just start to be more careful. For example, before I wouldn’t care about leaving my glass of water and go to the bathroom in a restaurant. Now, I’m not going to drink from the same glass of water,” she said. Coming from a free-spirited player like Aryna Sabalenka, this statement truly caught everyone off-guard shedding light on the harsh reality of the athletes’ lives.

Yet, in tennis, fate has a way of delivering unexpected twists. While this suspension sidelines the Italian star from four ATP 1000 events  (Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid, and Monte Carlo Masters) with a loss of 1600 ranking points, the ATP No. 1 will not miss any major tournament. In fact, his next tournament will be a home one, at the Italian Open, and then the French Open. No wonder the fraternity has found the timing convenient. What are you thoughts on the state of affairs?