Overview

• Jannik Sinner, serving a three-month suspension for unintentional clostebol contamination, is set to return at the Italian Open in May.
• Serena Williams expressed surprise at the short duration of Sinner’s ban, suggesting she would have faced a far harsher penalty under similar circumstances.
• Williams highlighted perceived inconsistencies in tennis anti-doping rulings, referencing her own career scrutiny and Maria Sharapova’s 2016 suspension.
• Sinner’s case involved contamination during a massage, with the World Anti-Doping Agency initially seeking up to a two-year ban before a settlement was reached.
• The controversy has reignited broader discussions about fairness, elite influence, and transparency in tennis anti-doping enforcement.