Toni Nadal, the uncle of tennis legend Rafael Nadal, has publicly voiced his support for Jannik Sinner amidst the doping controversy surrounding the young Italian player. Sinner, who tested positive twice for the banned substance clostebol, has faced a three-month suspension from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). Despite the suspension, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) exonerated Sinner, concluding that the violation was unintentional and resulted from a mistake by his former physiotherapist.

The decision to suspend Sinner has sparked divided opinions within the tennis community. Some players, including Novak Djokovic and Alexander Zverev, have criticized the settlement, suggesting that favoritism played a role in the leniency shown towards Sinner. However, Toni Nadal has taken a different stance, arguing that Sinner did not have the intent to commit a crime and should not be punished for an inadvertent mistake.

Toni Nadal emphasized that Sinner is a well-mannered and correct individual who did not seek to gain any unfair advantage. He expressed his disappointment with the reaction of some players and the press, who have called for harsher penalties despite the circumstances of the case. Nadal believes that justice should be based on intent and that Sinner’s actions were not deliberate.

This is what he said: “I am against the sanction.

I know Sinner personally and he had no will to commit a crime and you can’t treat a person like that for a mistake produced by chance.

One has to punish the people who intentionally does things wrong and seeks his own benefit. And I know it’s not the case with Sinner.

So, why do you want to sanction? It is true that they say that others who are not number 1 were sanctioned, because they did it wrong before. I am surprised that different players have positioned themselves against it, even some of the highest level and some who are not very clean themselves.”

The controversy has highlighted the complexities of doping regulations and the challenges of ensuring fair treatment for all athletes. While some argue for stricter enforcement, others, like Toni Nadal, advocate for a more nuanced approach that considers the intent and context of each case. The debate continues as the tennis world grapples with the implications of Sinner’s suspension and the broader issues of doping in the sport.

Jannik Sinner in 2025

At the moment ranked no.1, the Italian played his last match on the 26^th of January when he overcame world no.2 Alexander Zverev 6-3 7-6(4) 6-3 in the final of the Australian Open to win his 20^th career title.

At present, during this year Sinner has an overall 7-0 win-loss record. This year, Jannik conquered 1 tournament at the Australian Open.