How Serena Williams landed in controversy after Maria Sharapova-Jannik Sinner doping comments
Serena Williams faced backlash on the internet after her comments on Jannik Sinner's doping case along with her sympathising with long-time rival Maria Sharapova, surfaced online. The 43-year-old recently appeared on the cover of the coveted TIME Magazine and even gave an exclusive interview for them, expressing her views on her professional and personal life.
Sharapova was banned from the sport for 15 months in 2016 after testing positive for Meldonium during the Australian Open. While talking about Sinner's doping ban, she spoke on how she didn't want to bring Sinner down but was certain that if she had ever tested positive for the substance, she would have been banned for "20 years". In addition to that, she shed light on how she continues to feel for Sharapova on this matter.
“Just weirdly and oddly, I can't help but think about Maria all this time. I can't help but feel for her,” she said.
However, this comment wasn't well received by tennis fans as they critiqued her for trying to always be relevant and even labeled her a 'narcissist'. A user took to X and replied to media outlet Olly Tennis' post on this news, writing:
"Acting like a victim, making it about herself yet again"
Another user wrote:
"Whys she tryna make it about her lmao"
Some also took her side and wrote:
"She’s not wrong about the double standards."
Here are some more fan reactions:
"she tried to be diplomatic with her answer but we heard her loud and clear," a fan stated.
"Ok then why did you mock Sharapova and Halep? so hypocritical," questioned another user.
"Is she trying to play the racist card again?" a fan speculated.
Serena Williams also highlighted during the interview how she thought she would have been treated if she had ever tested positive for any substance.
Serena Williams thinks she would have ended up in jail for doping
Serena Williams, while discussing Jannik Sinner in the aforementioned interview, thought that she would have been treated differently if she had ever tested positive for any banned substance during her tennis career. As a person of colour and an advocate against racial discrimination, she said that she wouldn't just have had Grand Slams taken away from her but also could have landed in jail if she ever faced such allegations.
The 23-time Grand Slam champion also highlighted how keeping that in mind led her to be more mindful of what goes into her body. However, she bears no ill will towards Sinner and believes that the sport needs him.