Roger Federer spoke on American television about the doping issues surrounding world number 1 Jannik Sinner. According to the Basel native, this kind of thing harms the image of tennis.
“I think we are all pretty much convinced that Jannik did nothingFederer said on the American show “Today” on NBC. But the fact that he wasn’t forced to step down when they weren’t 100% sure what was going on is a question that needs to be answered. But that’s the way it is and we have to trust the process. I understand the frustration of people who wonder if he was treated the same as everyone else. And I think that’s the main point.“
Sinner had been acquitted shortly before the Grand Slam tournament after testing positive for doping twice. The public had not been made aware of the proceedings before the acquittal. According to the ITIA news agency, Sinner had been acquitted two weeks ago by an independent tribunal for the two positive tests in March for the banned anabolic steroid clostebol. The Australian Open winner’s explanation that the banned substance had accidentally entered his body following a massage was deemed conclusive.
“This is not something we want to see in our sport, this kind of news, regardless of whether he did something or not, continued the 43-year-old from Basel, who ended his career two years ago after winning 20 Grand Slam titles. I understand it’s a delicate situation. It’s every athlete’s and every team’s nightmare to have these accusations because we do these tests every day.“
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