Djokovic Addresses Sinner's Doping Case: "Some will always want to bring it back up"
In an interview with Piers Morgan, Novak Djokovic avoided no topic. The Serbian discussed Jannik Sinner's positive test for clostebol during the 2024 Indian Wells tournament.
Djokovic has decided not to play the ATP Finals, and this for the second consecutive season. The 38-year-old world number 4 won two titles this year, in Geneva and Athens, bringing his total to 101 titles won on the ATP tour.
The focus is now on the pre-season period for the 38-year-old player. In the meantime, the Serbian gave a long interview to journalist Piers Morgan, who questioned him about the doping case of current world number 2 Jannik Sinner, who was suspended for three months between February and May this season for negligence by his team members after the Italian's positive test for clostebol at Indian Wells last year.
"This case will follow him like the COVID-19 case will follow me for the rest of my career. Some people will always want to bring it back up. I have known Sinner since he was 14. I have always liked him. When it happened, I was shocked.
I believe he did nothing intentionally. But the way this case unfolded... there were too many warning signs. You could hear many players, both men and women, who have been in similar situations and who claimed in the media that he received preferential treatment.
I want to believe him. I have a history with him, I don't think he did it voluntarily, but of course he is responsible. Those are the rules, and you are necessarily responsible when something like that happens. The lack of transparency, the adjusted suspension so as not to miss Grand Slam tournaments... it was very strange.
When you see players in the same situation who are suspended for years and him only three months, it's not fair. It's not easy for him, I have a real feeling of empathy and compassion. I think he handled the media storm very well, he continued to dominate and win titles, so kudos to him," he stated.
