‘Sad day for tennis’: Kyrgios speaks out after Sinner accepts three-month doping ban

Nick Kyrgios has slammed a World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) settlement that sees world No.1 Jannik Sinner accept a three-month ban for an anti-doping rule violation that will not result in the Italian losing any titles or prize money.

Kyrgios has been vocal about his opinion on doping in tennis since Sinner and top women’s player Iga Swiatek both tested positive last year, saying Sinner’s settlement represented a “sad day for tennis” and that “fairness in tennis does not exist.”

Sinner, the two-time Australian Open champion, tested positive for a banned substance last year. He was ruled by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) to bear “no fault or negligence”, but WADA appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against an independent tribunal’s decision in August to clear Sinner of wrongdoing.

2025 Australian Open men’s singles champion Jannik Sinner.Credit: Getty Images

The 23-year-old Italian tested positive for anabolic agent clostebol, which he said had entered his system from a member of his support team through massages and sports therapy. The case was set to be heard by CAS in April.

However, WADA confirmed on Saturday that it had entered into a case resolution agreement with Sinner.

“WADA accepts the athlete’s explanation for the cause of the violation as outlined in the first instance decision,” it said in a statement.

Kyrgios took to social media on Saturday night to vent his frustrations with the decision.Credit: Instagram

“WADA accepts that Mr Sinner did not intend to cheat, and that his exposure to clostebol did not provide any performance-enhancing benefit and took place without his knowledge as the result of negligence of members of his entourage.

“However, under the Code and by virtue of CAS precedent, an athlete bears responsibility for the entourage’s negligence. Based on the unique set of facts of this case, a three-month suspension is deemed to be an appropriate outcome.”

Kyrgios took to social media on Saturday night to vent his frustrations with the decision.

“Obviously Sinner’s team have done everything in their power to just go ahead and take a 3 month ban, no titles lost, no prize money lost,” Kyrgios wrote.

“Guilty or not? Sad day for tennis. Fairness in tennis does not exist.”

The ITIA issued Swiatek with a one-month ban at the end of 2024 after ruling her level of fault was at the lowest end of the range, attributing “no significant fault or negligence” to the 23-year-old – effectively ruling the offence was unintentional.

During the 2025 Australian Open, WADA announced that they would not appeal Swiatek’s case.

Sinner’s ineligibility period will run from February 9 to 11.59pm on May 4, 2025. He will be allowed to return to official training from April 13.

It means the three-time grand slam singles champion will return in time for the French Open, which begins on May 25, 2025.

WADA said Sinner would not be stripped of any titles he had won since the positive result, which include his 2024 US Open and 2025 Australian Open titles.

“As previously stated, WADA did not seek a disqualification of any results, save that which was previously imposed by the tribunal of first instance,” it said.

“The International Tennis Federation and International Tennis Integrity Agency, both co-respondents to WADA’s CAS appeal, neither of which appealed the first-instance decision, both accepted the case resolution agreement.”

WADA has subsequently withdrawn its appeal to CAS.