"Timeline is borderline laughable": Andy Roddick questions timing of WADA, Jannik Sinner deal for three-month ban following failed doping tests

Former world number one Andy Roddick questions the timinig the deal between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and Italy’s Jannik Sinner. The case remains one of the most controversial ones in the history of tennis. Sinner, often regarded as one of the best players currently playing in men’s tennis in the singles category, tested positive for the banned substance clostebol in two doping tests in March last year but miraculously managed to escape any ban.

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 one member of the coaching staff had received a cream for the treatment of an injury.

Things turned ugly for the world number one in October last year when it was announced that 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 on Saturday as WADA announced that they had reached an agreement with Sinner, which will result in the player remaining out of action for three months.

Former world number one Roddick, in his podcast Served with Andy Roddick, discussed the verdict in detail. The one-time Grand Slam winner highlighted the primary reason why the agreement would always remain shady: the timing of the deal. Roddick stated that no one could have ‘handpicked’ a better time for Sinner to accept a three-month ban, which will see him miss no Grand Slam this year.

“I don’t think Sinner intentionally cheated,” he said. “I think his trainer f***ed up in epic ways but we are responsible for what our team do. That is why we are here at the suspension. Not because they found Sinner at fault. Not because they found that Sinner was doing things knowingly or anything. Its just, you can literally handpick a date, I am going to start 10 days after the Australian Open and I am going to end it, not even right before the French Open, right before I make my return to Rome, the Masters 1000 there. You could not have handpicked a better sweet spot for Jannik Sinner to take this deal which is, either you know strange or the best coincidence that has ever happened to Sinner team.”

He continued by saying: “It is an extremely convenient timing. I want to know what’s this negotiation like? How is this conversation takes place to avoid this trial? I think I have more questions about what we are reading this morning than I have may be going up to this point. I felt pretty confident, you know, I don’t think he did it on purpose, I can’t imagine why you would put your entire career at stake for you know you would like to stay a speck of sand in the swimming pool that gives you no added benefit, that doesn’t seem like a likely sequence of events so I tend to believe that Jannik was at least acting in good faith the entire time. Now, this whole thing with, you play the first major [Australian Open], you win it and then you take a little, you know siesta, you know and then you continue on with a week you know a warmup tournament in Rome, and then you miss no majors. Now I don’t know how this and may be it’s just you know good fortune for the Sinner team, but the timeline is borderline laughable.”