Tennis legend Serena Williams has shared her thoughts on the recent ban handed to current World No. 1 Jannik Sinner—and she’s not fully convinced it was fair.
Sinner, who recently won both the US Open and Australian Open, is serving a three-month ban after testing positive for a banned steroid (clostebol) in March 2024. The ban came after a long process involving the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), which initially planned to take his case to court before reaching a settlement.
Even though Sinner said the drug got into his system accidentally—possibly through a team member—Serena thinks if it had been her in that situation, the punishment would have been way harsher.
“Men’s tennis needs him,” she told Time Magazine. “But if I had failed a drug test like that, I would’ve gotten 20 years. Let’s be real. They would’ve taken Grand Slams away from me.”
Sinner was not suspended at first because the authorities believed it wasn’t his fault, but WADA pushed for a stricter penalty. In the end, they settled on three months. He’s still guaranteed to return as World No. 1 when his suspension ends on May 4, 2025.
Serena praised Sinner personally, calling him a “fantastic personality” and saying he’s good for the sport. But she also pointed out how different the response has been compared to Maria Sharapova, who was banned for 15 months in 2016 after testing positive for meldonium—even though her case was also ruled unintentional.
“I can’t help but think about Maria all this time—I feel for her,” Serena said.
Sharapova was one of Serena’s biggest rivals, and their careers often overlapped. Her comment highlights a growing conversation about whether male and female athletes are held to the same standards.
Serena made these remarks after being named to the TIME100 list for 2025—a recognition of her influence beyond the tennis court.
Leave a Reply