Novak Djokovic Delivers Caution to Jannik Sinner: Doping Ban Will Follow Him Like a "Shadow"
Novak Djokovic has cautioned Jannik Sinner that his three-month ban for doping will persist over his career like a "cloud" – while also questioning the timing of the penalty last year.
The Ban Explained
The Italian player served a three-month suspension in early 2025 after the global anti-doping body accepted his explanation that a banned anabolic steroid, clostebol, had entered his system accidentally.
"This shadow will trail him just as the cloud of Covid will follow me, for the rest of his, or my career," Djokovic stated in a discussion on Piers Morgan: Uncensored.
"It's just something that, it was so significant, and after such events, with time it may lessen, but I don't think it will disappear. There's always going to be a specific segment of individuals that will continually reference the incident."
Djokovic's Perspective
The Serbian player stated that Sinner, his frequent training companion, "didn't do it on purpose", but he then scrutinized how the player arranged to complete his ban without sitting out any major tournaments.
"The absence of openness, the irregularity, the convenience [of] the ban occurring between major events, so he doesn't miss out the others – it simply appeared highly unusual," he further commented.
Wider Player Reactions
"I am dissatisfied with how the situation was managed and you could hear so many other players, both male and female, who had comparable circumstances voicing their concerns publicly and complaining that it was a preferable treatment."
