Jannik Sinner‘s doping controversy took hours to turn into the most trending topic on social media right now! Although the recently released US Open draws have shared the space, the extended discussions over the young Italian’s clean chit from the case have made it hard for the fans to stop. While Andy Roddick stepped forward with firm backing for the Cincinnati Masters champion, fans didn’t hold back from treating him with negative comments. However, the American had perfect answers for all of them.
Andy Roddick recently faced criticism from fans after expressing support for Jannik Sinner during a banned substance test controversy. A fan slammed Roddick for “twerking to Sinner” after accusing him of doing all this to gain contracts from ATP and sponsors. However, Roddick quickly defended his position, making it clear that his opinions are independent and not influenced by any external organizations.
Roddick highlighted his independence by saying, “I own my own media company. I don’t answer to anyone. I write my own shows, have a production team, and edit the shows in-house. Nobody dictates our content.” He further explained that he does not rely on ATP or any other tennis entities for income, stating, “I haven’t taken a dime from ATP and don’t need their money. I’m about as anti-establishment as it gets in tennis media.”
Roddick also highlighted the integrity of his work, making it clear that he has no conflicts of interest, a point that separates him from others in the tennis media. “I’m not paid by any player, federations, tours, etc. I don’t take a salary from any broadcasters. We produce, edit, and deliver our pod show to [Tennis Channel] for a fee per episode and have total creative control,” the former American pro clarified.
The controversy began when Roddick discussed Jannik Sinner’s failed tests on his podcast, “Served with Andy Roddick.” Sinner had tested positive twice for a banned substance in March, an issue that led to the loss of ranking points and prize money from Indian Wells. However, the Italian’s provisional suspension was overturned after his appeals were accepted, and he was cleared of any fault by the ITIA and an independent tribunal.
Roddick urged fans to wait for the full story before forming opinions, stressing the importance of facts over feelings. He explained that it’s difficult to pinpoint the source of contamination, and any other ATP or WTA star could find themselves in a similar situation. “I care. I think facts matter more than feelings in this scenario. And I’m not going to tell you the way to feel. I’m going to tell you as much information, and then judge away, but at least judge away knowing processes,” Roddick said.
Roddick’s message was delivered quite clearly in his podcast. The former pro unbiasedly admitted that it is crucial to let all the facts emerge before rushing to judgment. However, he isn’t the only former pro who backed Sinner in this controversy ahead of the US Open.
It didn’t take long for the crucial update to knock on the doors of media houses like ESPN. As discussions emerged, Chris Evert reacted with shock to the news of Sinner’s doping test controversy. “Well, first of all, I’ve just been thrown into this saga. I just arrived on the set and I’m listening to this, and I’m like whoa, Jannik Sinner is like the last person you think,” the former WTA pro said. Evert couldn’t believe that Sinner was involved in such a scandal. She even compared it to the surprises in Simona Halep and Maria Sharapova’s cases, where both players were also unexpected figures in doping controversies.
Evert also responded to Nick Kyrgios’ call for a two-year ban on Sinner by disagreeing with a harsh response. “I don’t think he should be banned for two years,” she stated. Evert explained that Sinner’s situation seemed more like an unfortunate accident than intentional doping. She pointed out how Sinner’s physiotherapist, Giacomo Naldi, accidentally contaminated him by using a spray on his own injury before treating Sinner. As a result, when Sinner was tested, the results turned out to be a big scare. However, the Italian has decided to keep this behind and focus on the upcoming hard-court major.
