Jannik Sinner, the world's top-ranked tennis player, recently tested positive for clostebol, a banned steroid that can enhance muscle growth. However, he avoided any sanctions after a tribunal discovered that his physiotherapist had inadvertently contaminated Sinner while treating him, having previously applied a spray containing the substance to a cut on his own hand.
Despite some players suggesting that Sinner received preferential treatment due to his ranking, Rafael Nadal has come to his defence. Nadal firmly believes that Sinner would never consider using performance-enhancing drugs and that the decision to clear him of wrongdoing was not influenced by his status as the world number one.
As Sinner competes at the US Open, Nadal has expressed his confidence in the anti-doping organizations, emphasizing that their judgments should be trusted. He maintains that Sinner's case was evaluated fairly and that the Italian's integrity remains intact.
"I have a virtue or a deficit, which is that in the end I usually believe in people's good faith. I know Sinner; I don't believe that Sinner has ever wanted to dope," Nadal was quoted by Reuters from the Spanish television show El Hormiguero.
"I don't think we have to like it only when it is resolved in the way we think. In the end, justice is justice and I believe in justice. I believe in the bodies that have to make decisions and that really make them based on what they believe is right," Nadal reckoned.
Sinner was exonerated by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) following two failed drug tests in March. Sinner consistently asserted his innocence, stating that the quantity of clostebol detected in his system was less than one billionth of a gram.
Established in 2021 by the sport's governing bodies, the ITIA operates as an autonomous entity.
In response to the situation, Novak Djokovic advocated for the implementation of "clear protocols" and "standardised" procedures when dealing with doping cases. Meanwhile, Nick Kyrgios expressed his belief that Sinner should have faced a ban, regardless of whether the doping was "accidental or planned".
Despite these opinions, Nadal asserted that the authorities did not grant Sinner any special treatment during the investigation and subsequent decision.
"I'm totally confident that if he has not been sanctioned it is because those who have had to judge this case have seen very clearly that there were no sanctions to be imposed," added Nadal, who skipped the US Open due to fitness concerns.
"I do not believe that because he is Sinner he will not be sanctioned and because he is someone else he will be sanctioned. I really believe it and I am convinced of it.
"Afterwards, the opinion of others is also totally respectable. But, well, this is my opinion."
World No. 1 Sinner battled past home favorite Tommy Paul in a fourth-round match to enter the US Open quarterfinals, where he will face Daniil Medvedev.
