Emma Raducanu and Andy Murray's former coach Mark Petchey issued a very harsh statement on some of the comments made about the Jannik Sinner doping case, saying that it is plain ridiculous to believe that the Italian avoided any suspension because double standards were involved.
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For context, ever since the ITIA announced that the world No. 1 tested twice positive for a banned substance in March but didn't get any ban because he was able to quickly prove that it came unknowingly from a contaminated product, some people but also certain players have had questions and wondering if it was just a coincidence that the top-ranked player in the game had a doping case resolved this year.
On Saturday, the WADA confirmed that they would lodge an appeal in the Sinner doping case verdict. In their statement, they highlighted that they didn't feel it was correct to rule that the 23-year-old "bore no fault or negligence" for what happened. Also, they shared they would seek a ban in the range of between one and two years.
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To no one's surprise, the Italian's harshest critics - including Nick Kyrgios - instantly started using the WADA move as an argument for their claims. However, one notable member of the tennis community doesn't feel that way.
"Just for the record there is ZERO scandal in the Sinner case. He and his lawyers worked within the framework of what the rules are in the situation he found himself and got a decision based on the evidence presented. No conspiracy, no cover up. WADA today have looked at it and decided that they want to appeal the decision based on the 'no fault or negligence' was not correct under the applicable rules. This is how the law works every single day," Petchey wrote on X.
Petchey rips one of the biggest claims that is being made by Sinner's critics
While the two-time Grand Slam champion tested positive in March, he was allowed to keep playing but no one except his team knew that there was an ongoing investigation about him. Once the news dropped and it was revealed that the world No. 1 didn't get a provisional suspension, some started claiming that it was the biggest possible proof that double standards were involved.
After Petchey defended the Italian, a person responded to the post, saying: "Nope, the scandal is that Sinner got special treatment."
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But Raducanu's former coach had none of that, writing back: "No he did not. False narrative and its exhausting to watch people being allowed to peddle this slander."
How Sinner responded to the WADA announcement?
When the WADA shared a statement on Saturday, the top-seeded Italian was playing his second-round match at the China Open in Beijing. Early in the first set, the reigning US Open champion didn't look well and lost the first set to Roman Safiullin. However, he was able to come back and win 3-6 6-2 6-3.
Afterward, Sinner issued a statement of his own, explaining how he felt that he had strong arguments and that he felt the biggest anti-doping agency in the world wouldn't make the move that they made.
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I am disappointed to hear that WADA have chosen to appeal the result of my ITIA hearing after the independent judges had exonerated me and deemed me to be innocent. Over the past few months and throughout this process there have been three separate hearings in each case confirming my innocence. Several months of interviews and investigations culminated in three senior judges scrutinizing every detail through a formal hearing," the top-ranked ATP player said in a statement.
They issued an in-depth judgement explaining why they determined me not at fault, with clear evidence provided and my cooperation throughout. On the back of such a robust process, both the ITIA and the Italian anti-doping authority accepted it and waived their rights to appeal. I understand these things need to be thoroughly investigated to maintain the integrity of the sport we all love. However, it is difficult to see what will be gained by asking a different set of three judges to look at the same facts and documentation all over again.
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This being said, I have nothing to hide, and as I have done throughout the summer, I will cooperate fully with the appeal process and provide whatever may be needed to prove my innocence once again. As the case is now pending before CAS, I wont comment further.
