Sinner does not deserve any hate - Jack Draper

Jack Draper, a fellow tennis player, defended Sinner in the face of doping-related criticism or speculation. However, as of my most recent update, there has been no official announcement regarding Sinner's doping ban or involvement in a doping scandal. Draper's statement suggests that Sinner is a clean athlete who should not be unfairly targeted, even if this is a hypothetical scenario or based on a recent development that I am unaware of.

Even if doping allegations are unfounded, they can damage a player's reputation, and Draper's defense would emphasize the significance of fair judgment and evidence before imprisoning an athlete.

Jack Draper, Sinner's friend and fellow top-10 player, has come to his defense as he serves the final stages of his three-month doping ban, which was effectively a plea bargain with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and saw him miss no Grand Slams.

Draper, whose breakthrough win at the Indian Wells Masters has seen him become one of the big names in men’s tennis, trained with Sinner on the clay before arriving for this week’s Madrid Masters. The Briton believes that standing up for the World No. 1—whom he believes is not to blame—is important.

“When people ask about him, or anyone, I’ll tell the truth. I think ­Sinner is a really, really genuine, nice person. Furthermore, "he's obviously an unbelievable player," Draper was quoted by The Guardian as saying. “In this situa­tion, I’m sure that he would have ­absolutely zero idea of anything. That's just life; mistakes happen from time to time.

Draper added, “In terms of actually how I feel about him as a person, I think it’s important for people to know and recognize that the guy’s very, very kind-hearted and a good human being. So he doesn’t deserve any of the hate that he gets,”

In March of last year, Sinner took a test and came back positive for the banned anabolic steroid clostebol. The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) and an independent tribunal cleared him because they found "no fault or negligence" on his part.

After his trainer massaged him and applied a clostebol-containing spray to a cut on his finger, the tribunal granted his appeal of accidental transdermal contamination.

The case was subsequently appealed by WADA and was scheduled to be heard at the Court for Arbitration for Sport (CAS) before WADA and Sinner’s legal team came to a settlement that saw him accept a three-month ban in the time between the Australian Open (where he won his third Major) and the French Open.

Sinner will arrive in time to compete at the Italian Open in Rome next month on his home turf. Following instruction with the World No. 1, Draper stated that Sinner remains at "an incredible level" despite a slight lack of match sharpness.

The Briton said, “If you can train with anyone, it’s got to be probably the best in the world, right? He has, of course, taken some time off, but he is still playing at an incredible level. As I believe his presence has been missed, I am anticipating his return to the tour. It was great to be with him for a few days and get some good sparring,”

Sinner had previously been cleared of any wrongdoing by an independent panel after testing positive for the banned substance clostebol in March 2024.

It accepted he had been inadvertently contaminated by his physiotherapist, who was treating a cut on his hand with an over-the-counter spray that contained clostebol.

After losing early at the Monte Carlo Masters, world number six Draper went looking for practice partners on the clay and Sinner - who he has played doubles with in the past - was an obvious choice.

"I knew Sinner was available and in Monte Carlo on the clay so we organized with his team to go out there for three or four days and train with him," Draper said.

"It has to be the best in the world if you're going to train with anyone, right? He has obviously taken some time off, but he is still playing at an incredible level. It was wonderful to spend a few days with him and engage in some excellent sparring. "I'm looking forward to having him back on the tour because I think his presence has been missed," the British men's number one added.