"I would have gotten 20 years": Serena Williams gives interesting take about Jannik Sinner's doping scandal

Former world number one Serena Williams has hailed the personality of Italy’s Jannik Sinner. The 23-year-old is already regarded as one of the best players currently playing in men’s tennis in the singles category, along with the likes of Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz.

Sinner is going through a difficult phase in his career. He tested positive for banned substance clostebol in March last year and since then, he has come under severe criticism from fellow members of the tennis community.

He managed to escape any ban as The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) declared him innocent following a detailed hearing where his counsel claimed that the substance was available in the player’s sample because he came in close contact with his physio Naldi who used to spray for the treatment of a cut on his finger.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) appealed against the ITIA’s verdict in the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and demanded a two-year ban for the three-time Grand Slam winner. However, the issue finally came to a conclusion as WADA announced that they had reached an agreement with Sinner, which will result in the player remaining out of action for three months. His ban will end just a few days before the start of the Rome Masters in May later this year.

Former world number one Serena, who is regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of women's tennis in the singles category, has been recently quoted in a report by Tennis 365, where she stated that she praised the ‘fantastic’ personality of Sinner. The 23-time Grand Slam winner was of the opinion that tennis needs a player like him. However, Serena stated that if she had tested like Sinner, she would have been banned and all her Grand Slam titles would have been taken away.

“Fantastic personality,” says Williams. “I love the guy, I love this game. He’s great for the sport. I’ve been put down so much, I don’t want to bring anyone down. Men’s tennis needs him, [but] if I did that [fail a drugs test], I would have gotten 20 years. Let’s be honest. I would have gotten Grand Slams taken away from me.”