The tennis world’s crumbling over Jannik Sinner‘s three-month ban from WADA, even though an independent tribunal cleared him of any fault. With the World No. 1 caught up in this mess after dominating with nine titles last year, fans are asking—what does this mean for other top players like Aryna Sabalenka?

On February 15, Sinner’s shocking acceptance of a three-month WADA ban for Clostebol, effective from February 9 to May 4, left the tennis world stunned. The news came before his CAS hearing in April, sparking concerns from players like Nick Kyrgios about unfair treatment. The debate now is whether Sinner’s ban is too lenient compared to others like Simona Halep, whose four-year ban was cut to nine months. The mixed penalties have caused controversy, while WTA’s World No. 1 is taking a different route.

Ahead of Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, Sabalenka dodged Sinner’s case but admitted the situation has made her extra careful about avoiding anti-doping slip-ups. “You just start to be more careful. For example, before I wouldn’t care to leave my glass of water and go to the bathroom in a restaurant and now, I’m not going to drink from the same glass of water.”

“You just become a bit too much aware of stuff and this thing gets to your head that,” she added. This caution stems from Jannik’s case, which began with an inadvertent mistake by his former physiotherapist, who used a spray containing a banned anabolic substance to treat a wound and then massaged Sinner without gloves, causing contamination. While some believe in Sinner’s innocence, WADA couldn’t let it slide. Even though his ban was originally thought to be up to two years, the news of a three-month ban is what’s really throwing people off. Sabalenka voiced her frustrations: “You just become too scared of the system. I don’t see how I can trust the system.”

She’s not alone in this paranoia though. Earlier at the Australian Open, Emma Raducanu voiced similar worries about getting help for an injury caused by jumping ant bites.

Emma Raducanu expresses paranoia after watching Sinner’s case unfold

During her January 2025 Australian Open run, 2021 US Open champ Raducanu got attacked by aggressive “jumping ants,” leaving her hand swollen! Even with an antiseptic spray offered, she passed on it, worried about a potential doping test.

Speaking at her pre-tournament press conference, Raducanu explained, “I basically got bitten really badly, like, by these, I don’t know, like jumping ants or something.” She continued, “So I spent the second part of my day coming in to sign, seeing the doctor to try to get some remedies, because I had a bit of an allergic reaction. But I’m fine now. I’m allergic, I guess.” The bites caused significant discomfort causing painful swelling.

Raducanu emphasized the mental aspect of the situation, noting, “It’s obviously a concern on our mind. We’re all in the same boat. I think it’s just how we manage as best as we can the controllables. If something out of our control happens, then it’s going to be a bit of a struggle to try and prove [that a positive test is the result of contamination].” While she made it to the third round before losing to Iga Swiatek, Raducanu’s willingness to endure discomfort highlights the concerns athletes have about the anti-doping system

As Sinner remains at the center of this whirlwind debate, it’s unclear if we’ll see any resolution soon. Meanwhile, players like Aryna Sabalenka are just trying to keep their heads down and protect their rankings as this drama unfolds. What are your thoughts on this whole situation?