NEW DELHI: Jannik Sinner’s ongoing doping controversy has ignited discussions about doping in tennis once again. While Sinner, ranked among the top tennis players in the world, continues to appeal his case after testing positive for an anabolic steroid, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is seeking a ban.
The tennis world is watching closely, as this case brings back memories of other high-profile doping bans in the sport.
That said, we look at five tennis stars who were banned for doping.
1. Maria Sharapova
In 2016, the tennis world was stunned when Maria Sharapova, one of the most celebrated female players, tested positive for meldonium at the Australian Open.
Meldonium, which had just been added to the banned substances list, was a heart medication Sharapova had been using legally for many years. She was initially handed a two-year ban by the International Tennis Federation (ITF), but after appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), her suspension was reduced to 15 months.
Sharapova admitted to not being aware of meldonium’s addition to the banned list, and though the ban affected her career, she returned to the sport in 2017.
2. Martina Hingis
Five-time Grand Slam champion Martina Hingis shocked the tennis world in 2007 when she announced she had tested positive for cocaine at Wimbledon.
Hingis denied ever taking the drug, but chose not to contest the result. She retired from tennis soon after and was handed a two-year ban by the ITF.
Despite the ban, Hingis’s legacy remains strong, and she later made a successful comeback in doubles tennis, further cementing her place in tennis history.
3. Simona Halep
Simona Halep, a two-time Grand Slam champion, was handed a four-year ban in September 2023 after testing positive for the banned substance Roxadustat at the 2022 US Open. However, it was later cut to nine months.
Halep has consistently maintained her innocence, claiming the result was due to contamination or an unintentional error. Despite her defence, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) pursued a thorough investigation, leading to the suspension.
The case has raised questions about doping regulations and the challenges athletes face in proving their innocence when contamination is alleged. Halep’s career now hangs in the balance as she fights to restore her reputation.
4. Marin Čilić
The Croatian tennis star Marin Čilić was banned in 2013 after testing positive for the stimulant nikethamide. Čilić claimed he had inadvertently ingested the banned substance through glucose tablets and contested the severity of the ban.
Initially banned for nine months, the suspension was later reduced to four months by CAS.
Čilić went on to win the 2014 US Open, proving that a doping ban, while damaging, doesn’t necessarily end a player’s career.
5. Richard Gasquet
In 2009, French tennis player Richard Gasquet tested positive for cocaine and was handed a 12-month ban by the ITF. However, Gasquet’s defence was one of the more unusual in sports doping history.
He claimed that he had ingested the drug inadvertently by kissing a woman who had consumed cocaine in a nightclub. An independent tribunal accepted his explanation and reduced his ban to two and a half months, allowing him to return to competition soon after.
The current case with Jannik Sinner bears some similarities to these past incidents, especially in terms of contested explanations and appeals.
Sinner, who tested positive for low levels of Clostebol, a banned anabolic steroid, claims the substance entered his system accidentally through his physiotherapist’s treatment. Despite three hearings that ruled in Sinner’s favour, WADA has appealed the case, seeking a one-to-two-year ban, which could disrupt the young player’s rising career.