Unveiling the reasons behind Griekspoor's refusal to back Sinner in doping case

Dutch tennis player Tallon Griekspoor has refused to back Italy’s Jannik Sinner in the doping scandal. The 23-year-old, who is already regarded as one of the best players currently playing in men’s tennis in the singles category, has been in the news for the wrong reasons this year after testing positive for the banned substance Clostebol in two doping tests.

Despite that, Sinner managed to escape a ban as the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) accepted his counsel’s response where they claimed that the availability of the banned substance in the player’s sample was because of receiving a cream from one member of the coaching staff to treat an injury.

Dutch tennis player Griekspoor, who recently faced Sinner and lost in the Davis Cup singles tie, has been recently quoted in a report where he refused to accept the reigning world number one’s innocence in the case and claimed that no one knows ‘what happened’. "For me, on a personal level Sinner is a wonderful guy and a great player, but in the end you never know what happened," he said.

The case once again gathered focus after the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) appealed against the verdict in the Court of Arbitration for Sport and demanded Sinner’s suspension for two year’s period. Despite all of that, the 23-year-old had a fabulous year where he not only became the world number one for the first time but also finished the season as the top-ranked player in the ATP Rankings with a gap of over 3,000 points. He lifted three major titles in 2023, including two Grand Slams—the Australian Open and the US Open. His last major triumph came while playing on home soil in front of a charged crowd as he lifted the ATP Finals in Turin after beating America’s Taylor Fritz in the final in straight sets with a score of 6-4, 6-4.