Novak Djokovic Issues Caution to Jannik Sinner: Doping Ban Will Hang Over Him Like a "Shadow"
Novak Djokovic has cautioned Jannik Sinner that his three-month doping suspension will linger over his career like a "cloud" – and raised doubts about the scheduling of the sanction last year.
The Ban Explained
Sinner completed a three-month suspension in early 2025 after the World Anti-Doping Agency approved his account that a prohibited performance-enhancing substance, clostebol, had entered his system accidentally.
"This shadow will trail him just as the cloud of Covid will follow me, for the remainder of our respective careers," the champion remarked in an interview on a popular YouTube program.
"It is a situation where, it was so major, and when that happens, with time it may lessen, but I believe it won't fully vanish. There's always going to be a certain group of people that will continually reference the incident."
The Champion's Viewpoint
The Serbian player stated that Sinner, a regular practice partner, "had no intentional involvement", but he then scrutinized how the Italian managed to serve his time without sitting out any major tournaments.
"The absence of openness, the irregularity, the convenience [of] the ban coming between the slams, so he avoids skipping important competitions – it's just it was very, very odd," Djokovic added.
Wider Player Reactions
"I really don't like how the situation was managed and you could hear so many other players, both male and female, who had some similar situations voicing their concerns publicly and complaining that it was a preferable treatment."