Tennis anti-doping process completely broken: Jessica Pegula

DUBAI – World No. 5 Jessica Pegula believes the handling of high-profile doping cases involving Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek has shown that the “process is completely broken”.

And top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka admits she cannot trust the tennis anti-doping system and has become “too scared” of it.

Sinner’s long doping saga came to an end on Feb 15 after he agreed to a three-month ban from tennis, the world No. 1 admitting “partial responsibility” for team mistakes which led to him twice testing positive for traces of clostebol in March 2024.

Sinner was facing a potential ban of two years after the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport against his initial exoneration by the International Tennis Integrity Agency, announced in August 2024.

In a surprising move, Wada withdrew its appeal and came to an agreement with Sinner to accept a three-month ban.

In a statement, Wada said “Sinner did not intend to cheat” but would serve his suspension as he is responsible for the actions of his entourage.

Swiatek accepted a one-month ban after testing positive for the banned heart drug trimetazidine late last year.

The 23-year-old Pole had pulled out of the WTA’s Asian swing in September-October, citing “personal matters”.

Pegula, US Open finalist in 2024 and a member of the WTA Players’ Council, said the inconsistencies in the way cases are being processed and judged is creating an unfair environment for all tennis players.

“I think my reaction is that, whether you think he did or you don’t, or whatever side you’re on, the process just seems to be completely not a process,” the 30-year-old American told reporters in Dubai on Feb 16.

“It seems to just be whatever decisions and factors they take into consideration, and they just make up their own ruling.

“I don’t really understand how that’s fair for players when there’s just so much inconsistency and you have no idea.”

Pegula added that any e-mails the players have been receiving regarding anti-doping cases contain explanations that are too easy to come up with, and are just ways for anti-doping organisations to justify their inconsistent rulings and processes.

“If you’re clean or not, the process is completely broken,” she stated.

“I think it needs to be seriously looked at and considered.

“I feel like they have so much power to ruin someone’s career as well. I think there needs to be something done about that because it just seems really unfair.

“I don’t think any of the players trust the process at all right now. Zero. It’s just a horrible look for the sport.”

Sabalenka refused to comment on the outcome of the Sinner case but says she has become too wary of falling foul of the sport’s strict anti-doping rules.

“You just start to be more careful. For example, before I wouldn’t care about leaving my glass of water and go to the bathroom in a restaurant. Now, I’m not going to drink from the same glass of water,” said the Belarusian world No. 1.

“You just become a bit more aware of stuff and this thing gets to your head that, like if someone used a cream on you and you test positive, they’re going to go for you and they’re not going to believe you or anything.

“You just become too scared of the system. I don’t see how I can trust the system.”

American world No. 3 Coco Gauff has not paid much attention to the details of the recent anti-doping cases and is instead sticking to her strategy of avoiding taking any supplements to minimise the risk of testing positive for any banned substance.

“I trust that everyone is doing what they can to protect the sport. As a player, that’s all I can hope for,” said the former US Open champion.

“I just hope it’s more for the protection of the sport and not just out to, like, get players.”

Meanwhile, former world No. 1 Daniil Medvedev said he hopes other players can also reach settlements with Wada, just like Sinner.

“So I hope that it will create a precedent where everyone will have the opportunity to defend themselves better than before. Otherwise, if it’s not going to be possible, it’s going to be bizarre,” the 29-year-old said.

He added that Sinner was probably able to reach a settlement as he had a good team of lawyers, a luxury most players on the tour do not have.

“I hope that everyone will have the right to represent themselves because sometimes players don’t have the money for a lawyer, they do it themselves,” Medvedev added.

The settlement was criticised by current and former players, with Australian Nick Kyrgios saying it was a “sad day for tennis”.

The Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA), an organisation established by Novak Djokovic, said the “bias is unacceptable” after many other players received longer bans.

The PTPA said on Jan 29 it was launching a new pro-bono legal defence programme for players facing allegations of doping or corruption.

Former British No. 1 Tim Henman said the settlement left a “sour taste for the sport”.

“I don’t think in any way he has been trying to cheat at any stage,” he told Sky Sports.

“However, when I read this statement... it just seems a little bit too convenient. It seems that there’s words like ‘agreement’, and it almost seems like there’s been a negotiation.

“I think when you’re dealing with drugs in sport, it very much has to be black and white. It’s binary, it’s positive or negative – you’re banned or you’re not banned.” AFP, REUTERS