‘…the nightmare of every athlete’: Roger Federer breaks silence on Jannik Sinner doping controversy

Tennis great Roger Federer has now weighed in on the issue, lamenting the negative impact news like these have on the sport. “It’s not something we want to see in our sport, these types of news, regardless if he did something or not, or any player did. It’s just noise that we don’t want,” Federer said on today.com.

“I understand it’s a tricky situation. It’s the nightmare of every athlete and team to have these allegations and these problems because we fill out these forms all day every day. And it lives with you. Every morning when you wake up, you think, ‘Is somebody at the door coming to test me?’ So it’s really difficult.”

The inconsistency is the real issue, says Federer

Among the most common criticism directed at the authorities over the situation is that Sinner was allowed to play in competitions despite being under trial. Sinner’s coach Darren Cahill highlighted the disparity in resources available to top-ranked players like Sinner compared to lower-ranked athletes, noting that Sinner’s team was able to afford expert legal representation and scientific analysis to support his case.

Federer, who won 20 Grand Slams in a glittering career, also addressed the concerns about the fairness of the process. “I understand the frustration of, ‘Has he been treated the same as others? And I think this is where it comes down to. I think we all trust pretty much that Jannik didn’t do anything, but the inconsistency potentially that he didn’t have to sit out while they weren’t 100 percent sure what was going on, I think that’s the question here that needs to be answered. But look, it is what it is, and we need to trust the process as well of anyone involved here,” he said.