Novak Djokovic says recent doping cases in tennis suggest ‘favoritism’ and are ‘not a good image for our sport’

Novak Djokovic believes that “favoritism” is damaging tennis’ anti-doping system as several players speak out in light of Jannik Sinner’s three-month ban.

Novak Djokovic believes that “favoritism” is damaging tennis’ anti-doping system in light of Jannik Sinner’s three-month ban. On Saturday, it had emerged that world No. 1 Sinner accepted a ban from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) from February 9 until May 4 to settle a case which had lingered over tennis for months after the 2025 Australian Open winner twice tested positive for banned substance Clostebol in March last year. He previously avoided suspension when the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) announced in August that he wasn’t at fault for the positive tests, but WADA later lodged an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). That led to Sinner’s ongoing ban being announced last week, but the three-time grand slam champion will still be eligible to compete at the French Open, the next grand slam on the tennis calendar. “It’s not a good image for our sport, that’s for sure,” Djokovic told a news conference ahead of his first-round match at the Qatar Open. “I would say a majority of the players that I’ve talked to in the locker room – not just in the last few days but also the last few months – are not happy with the way this whole process has been handled.