"Maybe Jannik Sinner's more forgiving than I'd have been"- Andy Roddick accuses Italian's team members of 'gross mistake' in causing drugs controversy
Andy Roddick slammed Jannik Sinner's medical team amid the Italian being involved in a doping controversy. Sinner tested positive for a banned steroid named Clostebol and was stripped of the prize money and ranking points he earned at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells.
However, Sinner was not handed a suspension as the ITIA found out that less than a billionth of a gram of the substance entered the World No. 1's body via a spray that his physiotherapist Giacomo Naldi used to treat a cut on his finger.
A lot of people from the tennis fraternity have spoken out on Jannik Sinner's doping row, Andy Roddick being one of them. The former World No. 1 spoke about it on his podcast "Served with Andy Roddick". Present with him at the US Open's Chase Lounge were journalist John Wertheim and the podcast's producer.
Speaking about Sinner's situation, Roddick reacted hilariously to the point that the Italian received a massage from his physiotherapist without gloves, claiming that doing so would be psychotic.
"The other thing is, he did a massage with no gloves. I, for one, have never had a massage with gloves my entire life. Let's not act like that's a normal thing to have done. That would be psychotic," the former World No. 1 said. [14.36 onwards]
Speaking about the banned substances, Roddick also said tennis had more of them compared to other sports and that 80% of medication needed to treat any sort of cold would see players testing positive.
"So, tennis has probably the largest list of banned substances, comparatively speaking to every other sport. Like, I can buy, stuff that you've had, athlete's foot stuff that we can't use, sudafed we can't use. Anything in a CVS that you walk in and get for any cold, 80% of it, we would probably test positive if we took it. So, two things, one, very stringent, something you have to think about. Two, not sure how this substance got anywhere near him," the 41-year-old said. [15.55 onwards]
Speaking further, Roddick criticized Sinner's medical team, stating that they were negligent and made a "gross mistake".
"I think it's negligence by members of his team. I think it's a gross mistake. I don't know how you can have anything like that near someone without having checked it out. The other thing, not to throw, well no I'm going to throw his trainer completely under the bus," the 2003 US Open champion said. [26.51 onwards]
Andy Roddick also referred to a doping incident involving Clostebol in the Italian basketball league, where Sinner's physiotherapist worked. The American stated that the World No. 1 was more forgiving of his medical team than he would have been.
"He was in the Italian basketball leagues before he took the job of Jannik. Someone got suspended for a year in that league because their wife was using this spray and it got onto them... Listen, I don't know what that situation is. Maybe Jannik is more forgiving than I would have been," the 41-year-old said.
"No fault or negligence has been found on Jannik Sinner's part," says ATP
The ATP released a statement regarding Jannik Sinner escaping a doping ban and said that there was "no fault or negligence" from his side. They also praised the investigation process that eventually allowed the 23-year-old to keep competing.
"We are encouraged that no fault or negligence has been found on Jannik Sinner’s part. We would also like to acknowledge the robustness of the investigation process and independent evaluation of the facts under the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme (TADP), which has allowed him to continue competing," the statement read.
Jannik Sinner will enter the US Open as one of the heavy favorites to win. The Italian has had an impressive hard-court record so far in 2024, winning 28 out of 30 matches. He won the Australian Open and two Masters 1000 titles, the most recent of which came at the Cincinnati Open last week.
Sinner reached the final after defeating Alex Michelsen, Jordan Thompson (walkover), Andrey Rublev and Alexander Zverev. In the title clash, the Italian beat Frances Tiafoe 7-6(4), 6-2 to win his fifth title of 2024.
The World No. 1 is the top seed at the US Open and will face Mackenzie McDonald in the first round. It will be the fourth meeting between the two, with Sinner winning their previous three encounters. The winner of the match will face either a qualifier or Alex Michelsen in the second round of the New York Major.