There’s something about Jannik Sinner‘s three-month doping ban that seems funny. The suspension is timed in such a manner that he won’t be sidelined from any Slam events. Naturally, the community has gone haywire with the updates surrounding his long-drawn doping controversy. And now, Serena Williams‘ ex-coach has pitched in to discuss his thoughts on his dope ban. However, contrary to the chatter, his admission relies on a different approach.

On Saturday, February 15, Sinner reached a case resolution settlement with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). He agreed to serve a three-month hiatus from competitive tennis after twice testing positive for banned anabolic steroid, clostebol, during the Indian Wells Masters in March last year. The first positive result came during an in-competition test and the second one was confirmed merely eight days later from an out-of-competition sample ahead of the Miami Open.

However, the Italian star did not face heat at first after the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) accepted his defense plea and awarded him a “no guilt” verdict. Their investigation found that the sample traces entered his system unintentionally. This happened when his former physiotherapist Giacomo Naldi treated a cut on his finger with a spray that contained clostebol, leading to the contamination. Fast forward to September 2024, WADA filed an appeal with the CAS, seeking a decision reversal of the independent tribunal’s finding and pushing for a ban on Sinner.

The final trial was set to be heard this April, allowing Sinner to participate and win several high-end ATP crowns. However, days after he successfully defended his Australian Open title, reports showed that he reached an agreement with WADA and accepted a three-month ban from the tour. While several high-profile entities, including Nick Kyrgios and Novak Djokovic, lamented the inconsistencies in the decision-making process, Williams’ ex-coach Rick Macci offered an unbiased opinion on the matter. “Lets take a deep breath on the SINNER BAN.”

“Rules of the game are no rules. Case by case situation. Just like a regular court of law on the when the law is broken. There are guide lines and lawyers and every time you go into a COURT even basketball it is a Jump Ball. @janniksin,” he added.

Moreover, moments after details of his suspension were aired, Sinner himself addressed the topic.

Jannik Sinner opens up about accepting a three-month ban

Italian superstar Jannik Sinner’s dream run in 2024 was largely overshadowed by his doping saga. Though he went on to become the first Italian player in history to capture the World No. 1 spot and added several top-tier ATP titles in the process, fans and players criticized him for not keeping the sport clean. However, after accepting the ban, the 23-year-old believes it’s time to put all the controversy behind and move on to the next phase in life.

Subsequently, Sinner released a statement that read: “This case had been hanging over me now for nearly a year and the process still had a long time to run with a decision maybe only at the end of the year.” The ATP ranking leader also added that he took full responsibility for his team’s slip-up and wanted to live by the strict rules governing the sporting world.

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“I have always accepted that I am responsible for my team and realize WADA’s strict rules are an important protection for the sport I love. On that basis I have accepted WADA’s offer to resolve these proceedings on the basis of a 3-month sanction,” he added.

Sinner will return to the tour on May 4. This means he won’t have to skip his home Masters 1000 event in Rome and also, mark his attendance at the French Open. What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments.