Nick Krygios “stands by every word” of his criticism of the independent tribunal’s handling of Jannik Sinner’s doping case, insisting he is fighting to save the “integrity of the sport”.
The tribunal accepted the world No.1’s explanation that the anabolic agent, identified in two positive tests in March, had entered his system unintentionally through massages and sports therapy.
The decision to not suspended the Italian star divided the tennis world with Kyrgios among the many fellow players who voiced their concerns on social media.
READ MORE: Hopoate breaks silence after ‘disgraceful’ act at function
READ MORE: How NRL created ‘real problem’ before Bunker crisis erupted
READ MORE: Fear Chooks are ‘having us on’ as scary reality looms
Kyrgios, who has not played competitively since June 2023, called for doping suspensions for athletes who produce multiple positive results to be removed from the sport for two years.
Despite Sinner being stripped of his results, prize money and ranking points from Indian Wells this year, Krygios has not backed down on his comments.
“Everything I put on social media I have to stand up for,” he said in commentary for the US Open on ESPN.
“I’ve seen many of my friends go through doping things and being suspended. We’ve seen players like (Simona) Halep or Jenson Brooksby – players who’ve had their careers taken away from them.. it seems like every time one of these things comes up, there’s always a different process for different players.
“I think he had it on his own terms for most of the time. I don’t think that’s fair and equal for the rest of the tours.
Watch the 2024 US Open tennis for free on 9Now. Every match will be ad-free, live and on demand with Centre Court in 4K UHD on Stan Sport.
“Every physio that’s employed by a player, as well as every player… we get sent a prohibited substance list every year.
“On page five, it says ‘Prohibited at all times’. If there’s a clearing we need to get a definition of what ‘Prohibited at all times’ means. I’m pretty sure that means no matter what amount or if it shows up… that means you tested positive.
“Why is his team carrying a banned substance that we know is completely not necessary in the sport is another question itself.”
Jannik Sinner of Italy waves as he leaves the court following his quarterfinal loss to Daniil Medvedev of Russia at the Wimbledon tennis championships in London, Tuesday, July 9, 2024. (AP Photo/Mosa’ab Elshamy) AP Photo/Mosa’ab Elshamy
The 29-year-old declared his comments were not a direct attack on Sinner’s character, however, confirmed he will struggle to see past the incident if the pair are to face each other on the court.
“It’s nothing against Sinner personally at all. He’s one of the greatest tennis players we have right now. I’m not denying that. Nothing against him personally,” Kyrgios said.
“I’m definitely not going to be warm and hospitable like I was before. I just want a level playing field for everyone. That’s what this fight is for.
“I got tested at my hotels two days ago. We do get tested consistently. This is a sport I’ve played my whole life. If the playing field isn’t the same for everyone, you kind of lose the integrity of the sport a little bit.”
World No.2 Novak Djokovic expressed similar concerns around the case ahead of his US Open title defence, claiming the lack of transparency has instilled a sense of doubt across the sport.
“I understand the frustration of the players is there because of lack of consistency,” he said.
“As I understood, his case was cleared basically the moment it was announced, but I think five or six months passed since the news (of the case) was brought to him and his team.
“There is a lot of issues in the system, We see a lack of standardised and clear protocols.
“I can understand the sentiments of a lot of players that are questioning whether they are treated the same.”