Sabalenka, Pegula and others commented on Sinner's ban: outrageous! There is no trust in this system at all

Recently, Gauff, Sabalenka and Pegula spoke about Sinner's doping ban in an interview with UAE outlet The National News, and they expressed their views ahead of Tuesday's match.

Gauff said she didn't pay much attention to the details of Sinner's doping case, but she was alert to the drugs she was taking. She also expressed concerns about the sport, emphasizing the need to protect tennis and players. "I'm sure everyone is doing their best to protect the sport. As a player, I can only hope so. I hope it's more about protecting tennis and not just about the players. The American player said.

Sabalenka did not comment directly on Sinner, but she shared the impact of the events on the psychology of the players and expressed concern about the lack of trust in the "system".

"You're going to get too alert, and all these things are going to upset you...... If you test positive, they will take action against you, and they won't trust you or anything. You start to be afraid of the system. I don't know how else I can trust this system. Sabalenka, who is currently ranked No. 1 in the world, said.

Pegula made it clear that she believes the process is problematic and "inconsistent." "Whether you're clean or not, the process is completely broken. I feel like they have too much power to destroy a person's career...... I now feel that no player has any trust in the process at all. Zero trust. It's a bad image for the sport. She said.

Sinner received a three-month ban from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) on Feb. 15. After defending his case, he reached a case resolution agreement with the agency.

WADA announced that Sinner did not mean to use Clostebol and that the substance was transferred to him through an over-the-counter medication called Trofodermin, which was administered by physiotherapist Giacomo Naldi. Despite this, Sinner is still subject to a ban because WADA believes he is responsible for the negligence of his team members.

Sinner will miss three months of tennis, meaning the Court of Arbitration for Sport hearing, scheduled for April, will no longer take place. This is big news for the tennis world because it's not good news overall. It's a good deal for Sinner, who could technically face a ban of up to a year, or even longer, if the Court of Arbitration for Sport supports WADA.

By accepting this agreement, Sinner effectively took control of the situation, ensuring that he would be able to rest for three months without suffering huge losses as a result. He won't lose any trophies or prize money and will be able to return in time for the French Open and Wimbledon, which is obviously a perfect solution for him.

However, the controversial nature of this agreement lies in its impact on the sport as a whole. Players being banned for similar incidents are nothing new. Halep actually had a similar situation to Sinner, but she was never offered such an agreement. She was sentenced to a lengthy ban, and although the Court of Arbitration for Sport had reduced the ban, it was not completely revoked.

Other players like Max Purcell have been in a similar situation, but they haven't gotten a deal like this either. So why did Sinner get such an agreement? No one knows the answer at the moment. There has been some speculation that since Sinner is currently recognized as the number one in the world, the Italian may have been given preferential treatment. If Sinner misses an important event, it will be bad news for tennis, both financially and otherwise.

Sinner's special treatment surfaced early after the incident broke, especially before Sinner's doping test results came to light, and the news remained undisclosed for months. Whether or not this is done in accordance with the norm, the situation has undoubtedly raised suspicions on the tour, with many players expressing their opinions, including Kyrgios. Wawrinka, a three-time Grand Slam champion, said he no longer believes tennis is a "clean sport".

There has been a lot of reaction to this on the tour. Some players, such as Alcaraz, declined to comment too much on the matter. The Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) criticized WADA's approach. The group released a statement suggesting that "this system is not to be trusted."

While this may sound a bit harsh, it is actually what it is, as there is hardly any transparency in this case from start to finish. Whether it's the timeline of events, or the application of rules, there is a lot of uncertainty. Most puzzling is that an agreement was reached before the appeal hearing, breaking with most conventions on such matters.

Other players would surely have liked to have been given the opportunity to avoid going to court through a "settlement", a lawsuit that would have all but ended their careers. For those players who were allowed to continue playing during the investigation, it does not appear that they will face any serious consequences.

A three-month absence is not a big deal, after all, Sinner will soon be able to play in important games and the timing is just right. More players are expected to comment on this in the coming days, especially when a press conference is held.(Source: Tennis Home Author: Spark)