British tennis player Liam Broady has said that Jannik Sinner‘s three-month doping ban has been timed in order to impact the world No. 1’s career “as little as possible.”
Sinner accepted a three-month ban in a settlement with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and said on Saturday that the agreement ends a case that was “hanging over” him since his two positive doping tests nearly a year ago.
The 23-year-old Italian is suspended from Feb. 9 until May 4, meaning he won’t miss any Grand Slam tournaments. The French Open, the season’s next major, starts May 25.
“I do think a lot has been put into when the ban would take place, to impact Jannik’s career as little as possible,” Broady told BBC Sport.
“The ban ends the day before the Rome Masters, which is the biggest tournament in his home country and the perfect preparation for him to then go and play the French Open.
“I don’t think he loses any [ranking] points or his number one spot either, so it’s an interesting ban.
“I was speaking to some people earlier and they said it’s kind of like a Premier League footballer being banned over the summer. It’s a difficult one.”
WADA had challenged a decision last year by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) not to suspend Sinner for what the ITIA judged was accidental contamination by a banned anabolic steroid in March.
Sinner’s explanation — that trace amounts of Clostebol in his doping sample were due to a massage from a trainer who used the substance after cutting his own finger — had been accepted.
Broady said he was a “little bit upset at the verdict,” adding that “it doesn’t seem like there’s much being lost from this ban.”
“It does appear to be favouritism towards the better players on the tour,” Broady said. “I wouldn’t say that he’s done it on purpose, but if that had happened to another player, would we be treated the same way? Would we be afforded the same sort of dignity?”
Broady, the world No. 766, is not the only player to call out the flaws of the ban. Former world No. 1 Novak Djokovic said a majority of tennis players have lost faith in the anti-doping authorities following the ban, and said there’s a widespread feeling that “favoritism” is being shown.