Former world number one tennis player Andy Roddick has criticised Nick Kyrgios after the Australian fanatic criticised tennis officials for failing to suspend Italian star Jannik Sinner following two positive doping tests.
Kyrgios publicly criticised a court’s decision to acquit Jannik Sinner of doping violations after the world No. 1 tested positive twice for banned substances.
According to the International Tennis Integrity Authority, Sinner tested positive in March.
Jannik Sinner’s positive doping tests, first taken on March 10 and eight days later, led to a provisional suspension. Despite urgent requests from his team, he continued to compete.
Although Sinner continues to maintain his innocence, he will lose $325,000 in prize money and 400 ranking points from Indian Wells after the ITIA disqualified his results due to traces of clostebol found in his system.
The court accepted Sinner’s explanation that the anabolic agent clostebol entered his body accidentally via his physiotherapist, Giacomo Naldi, who had applied a medicinal spray to his own skin and then massaged Sinner.
Naldi was unaware that the spray contained clostebol, a muscle-building steroid, and did not wear gloves during the massages.
Polarising Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios has criticised the world tennis community for not suspending Jannik Sinner after he submitted two positive doping test results
Sinner’s team successfully argued that the banned substance was transferred in small doses during a massage and not intentionally ingested
Kyrgios, however, does not believe that explanation and has repeatedly criticized Sinner and the ITIA for the decision, saying he should be banned for two years.
“Ridiculous, whether it was accidental or planned,” Kyrgios wrote on social media platform X.
“You’re tested twice with a banned (steroid) substance…you should be out for 2 years. Your performance was enhanced.”
His comments divided his followers, with some agreeing with Kyrgios, while others accused him of being jealous that Sinner is now in a relationship with his former partner Anna Kalinskaya.
Former world number 1 Andy Roddick has also been targeted by Kyrgios after he publicly defended Sinner.
“You get tested at every Grand Slam, so there’s no way he couldn’t have performed well at the Australian Open if he tested as much as he did,” Roddick said on his podcast.
“The amount in his system is one billionth of a gram, or 58,000 times smaller than a grain of salt. Which is completely consistent with the explanation.”
Former world number 1 Andy Roddick has defended Sinner and also taken aim at Kyrgios
That prompted Kyrgios to remark: ‘Do you understand how quickly this stuff leaves your body? Cream, gummies literally hours. Ridiculous statement.’
An X user then replied to Kyrgios: ‘How do you know? Experience? Lmao you’re ridiculous bro – give it up.’
“Do some research, you stupid bastard,” the Australian replied.
At that point, Roddick couldn’t help himself any longer and decided to poke the bear.
“Dumba** is one word,” he posted.
“Thanks for the warning. Can you also explain what prohibited at all times means?” Kyrgios asked back.
Sinner will be free to compete in the upcoming US Open, where he will be a leading contender
Former women’s champion Chris Evert also defended Sinner, but said the Italian champion should look for better protective measures within his own team.
“I think tennis has done well,” said the 18-time major winner.
‘My only question is the steroid clostebol, yes it was available over the counter in Italy. You can just buy it over the counter, so it’s like buying aspirin over the counter.
‘Yet these players have teams that really need to investigate what is in these substances.
‘And I would have thought, especially since the Maria Sharapova saga [she had her two-year doping ban reduced to 15 months following her appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport]that teams would be more aware of what to look for in the substances their players use.
“It’s ready-made, but it still contains a steroid, which is banned. You’re not allowed to use that steroid and then it turns out to be a spray.