The entire tennis world has been focused on the doping scandal surrounding World No. 1 Jannik Sinner. The timing could not be worse for the sport, as the US Open is officially underway.
Over the years, Novak Djokovic has become a leader in the sport and never shied away from tough questions. Naturally, the 24-time Grand Slam champion was asked about Sinner today in New York City.
Djokovic gave a lengthy answer, “I understand the frustration of the players is there because of lack of consistency. As I understood, his case was cleared the moment basically it was announced. But, you know, I think five or six months passed since the news was brought to him and his team.”
Djokovic continued, “So, yeah, there is a lot of issues in the system. We see lack of standardized and clear protocols. I can understand the sentiments of a lot of players that are questioning whether they are treated the same. Hopefully the governing bodies of our sport will be able to learn from this case and have a better approach for the future. I think collectively there has to be a change, and I think that’s obvious.”
Novak Djokovic was asked about Jannik Sinner’s case, ‘I can understand the sentiments of a lot of players who are questioning whether they are treated the same’
“As far as Jannik’s case, you know, as I said, these kind of instances are the very reason that why we founded PTPA… pic.twitter.com/fBgRTXNPiZ
— The Tennis Letter (@TheTennisLetter) August 24, 2024
Djokovic went on to call for a more standardized system that does not bend to a player’s ranking or financial status. So, Djokovic neither condemned nor excused Sinner. He remained consistent in advocating for fair protocols and standardized approaches to such cases.
Djokovic faces Radu Albot in the first round of the US Open on Monday. Meanwhile, Sinner faces Mackenzie McDonald in the first round of the US Open on Monday. Tennis fans can follow Sports Illustrated’s Serve on SI for all the most important news from the sport.