The new world #1 in tennis, Jannik Sinner, will be in hot water if he is suspended from the sport due to his use of banned substances.
What’s the Latest on Sinner’s Suspension?
Fans with Wimbledon tickets will have to face the fact that the World #1 Sinner will not be in the draw, as the Italian has received a serious suspension notice from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
The 23-year-old tested positive for clostebol, a banned anabolic steroid, in March. Still, an independent panel accepted his explanation that it entered his body from a massage with his physio, who had used it to treat a cut on his finger.
WADA has appealed the decision to clear Sinner, calling for the Italian to be suspended for up to two years. They are not seeking disqualification of any results, though, meaning Sinner would keep all the titles he won in 2024.
According to news reports, the hearing is expected to occur in February, allowing Sinner to play at the Australian Open in January.
However, he could be banned from the French Open, Wimbledon, and US Open, which would cause him to tumble down the rankings due to inactivity.
It remains to be seen if the WADA appeal will be successful. The case is set to be heard before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) before the French Open gets underway in June.
Sinner will hopefully avoid a ban following comments made by WADA director general Oliver Niggli. Niggli suggested that the increased number of high-profile cases may be due to improvements in testing rather than a major doping problem in tennis.
Novak Sends A Strong Message With Murray Appointment
After hiring Andy Murray as his new coach, Novak Djokovic has been told that success is not guaranteed. After scrapping it out for over a decade at the tennis summit, Djokovic and Murray have put their rivalry aside to form a surprising partnership.
It marks Murray’s first foray into coaching, just a few months after he ended his stunning, trophy-laden career. The Brit, 37, is the third former World No. 1 to become Djokovic’s coach, with the Serb, also 37, having previously worked with Andre Agassi and Boris Becker.
But top players don’t always make top coaches, as French former tennis ace Julien Benneteau pointed out while speaking to RMC Sports. “[Just] because you’ve been a great player, that [doesn’t mean] you’re a good coach, and that guarantees success as a coach,” the 42-year-old said. “Andy Murray is going to be a coach, not a trainer; he’s not going to teach him how to hit a forehand or a backhand.”
Continuing, Benneteau said he believes Murray’s appointment demonstrates how determined Djokovic is to win a 25th Grand Slam title – a feat that would see him move above Margaret Court to become, statistically, the most successful tennis player ever – and to stave off increasingly burdensome challenges from the likes of Carlos Alcaraz, Jannik Sinner and Alexander Zverev. “I think Djokovic has a real motivation,” he said.
“Djokovic wants to do everything he can to reach 25 Grand Slams, to be the only one to have done so. And the fact that Murray is joining him in his team is a signal he’s sending out to the others and himself so that he can have a different approach and a different vision of how Alcaraz and Sinner play to beat them in five sets.
“We mustn’t forget Zverev, who finished the year on a high. And I think that’s why he’s calling on Andy Murray. Murray knows him well enough to help him out.
“I don’t know if they are friends or not. But they belong to the same generation. They are the same age. Murray knows him very well in terms of how he plays, how he is, and his personality. That’s why Murray could help him to prepare for the Grand Slam. Because of his knowledge of Djokovic, Murray can give him that small advantage he needs over the rest of the players.”
When quizzed about his decision to hire Murray, Djokovic admitted it came as “a surprise” – not least to the Scot, who was caught “a little off-guard” when Djokovic phoned him – but insisted he was really excited to start working with the two-time Wimbledon champion. “I took about six months to figure out what I needed at this career stage,” the Belgrade native said.
“I realised the perfect coach would be someone who has been through the experiences I’m going through, possibly a multiple Grand Slam winner and world number one. We discussed Andy Murray, and I said I would give him a call to see how it goes. It caught him a little of guard. We connected fast and he accepted after a few days.
Djokovic was close to breaking the record with his 25th Grand Slam, twice at Wimbledon. Fans with Wimbledon tickets remember the first final between Carlos Alcaraz and Novak Djokovic in 2023. At that time, Djokovic had ruled Wimbledon for the longest and was coming into the game with a record win streak.
Unfortunately, as the history books will relate, it was the rise of a new star, as Alcaraz defeated Djokovic to claim his first, denying him history.
However, the history books gave Djokovic a second chance this year at Wimbledon, and yet again, it was an Alcaraz vs. Djokovic clash. But this time around, those with Wimbledon tickets to the Centre Court saw a tired Djokovic, who eventually ended up losing straight sets.
Hence, Djokvoci’s need for the 25th title continues through to 2025.
“I couldn’t be more excited about it,” he added. “This collaboration surprises everyone, including me, but it’s exciting for tennis.”
By winning an Olympic gold medal in Paris this summer, Djokovic ticked off the last major piece of silverware missing from his glittering trophy cabinet. That said, there have been signs of an impending decline over the year. He failed to win a single ATP event for the first time since 2005 and ended the year without a Grand Slam title for the first time since 2017.
With Murray by his side, Djokovic hopes to stem the tide. However, as his 40s loom ever closer, time is running out for the Serbian to secure a 25th major and officially cement his place as the greatest tennis player of all time.
Wimbledon tickets for 2025 go on sale soon.