"Sounds very harsh, this is how I felt with Simona Halep" - Kim Clijsters on WADA appealing Jannik Sinner's doping tests verdict

Kim Clijsters shared her thoughts on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) appealing Jannik Sinner's doping tests verdict. WADA is seeking a ban of one to two years for Sinner, who twice tested positive for a prohibited substance in March this year.

During the 2024 Indian Wells Masters, Sinner tested positive for clostebol. Following an investigation by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), an independent tribunal found that he had 'no fault or negligence' for the Anti-Doping Rule Violations. However, WADA disagreed with this ruling and is pushing for a ban.

During an episode of the 'Served with Andy Roddick' podcast released on October 1, Kim Clijsters was asked to comment on WADA's appeal of Jannik Sinner's doping verdict. Clijsters said that she believes that the appeal was "harsh," drawing parallels to Simona Halep's ban from playing tennis after the Romanian had tested positive for a prohibited substance, Roxadustat.

The Belgian claimed that the appeal was harsh on Sinner's part because he didn't know what his physiotherapist would put on him, alluding to the fact that the Italian had claimed that clostebol was found in his system because his physiotherapist, Giacomo Naldi, had unknowingly applied trace amounts of it to his body during a massage.

“I think that my first kind of feeling and an opinion about it is that it sounds very harsh but again, this is how I also felt with Simona [Halep]. I think the rule, like you described it, you have 48 hours to find what the issue is but then to me there's also. I was always very cautious but you have to understand, think about putting myself in that situation, I’m not in control of what my trainer would have done,” Clijsters said [7:20].

The former World No.1 also said that prohibited substances can enter a player's body from various sources, sometimes without their knowledge.

“There’s so many things, like we’ve had players that tested positive because they ate a steak in South America. Like try to rewind, that’s kind of where did that come from and so if there’s so many ways and routes that this all can go and not one case is the same. I do think that there needs to be an understanding for situations..I’m sure there have been and there are probably players who were doing things wrong and they will get caught,” she continued.

Kim Clijsters also expressed concern about the mental toll the investigation and the appeal have had on Jannik Sinner.

“But when it is in situations like the ones that we've mentioned, I do feel like the human side of it needs to be addressed, like what does this do to Jannik's mental state of mind. People just think you’re like a robot and you go out there playing and everything seems fine and to me, I also feel like they are not taken into consideration enough,” Kim Clijsters said [8:41].

“I don’t think Jannik Sinner did it on purpose” - Andy Roddick on the Italian's doping saga

In the same episode of the aforementioned podcast, Andy Roddick expressed that he doesn't believe that Jannik Sinner had intentionally used the banned substance Clostebol.

Roddick said that Sinner promptly took action upon learning of his positive test result by working with his legal team and providing the ITIA with the evidence needed to clear him of any wrongdoing.

“I don’t think he [Jannik Sinner] did it on purpose. He did execute within that 48 hour period. He got his ducks in a row, and submitted his case . He was able to move very quickly in a very organised fashion with a bunch of fancy lawyers. This isn't a tennis issue if you can afford a fancy lawyer you normally get to a result faster and softer,” Andy Roddick said [6:45].

Currently, Jannik Sinner will face Carlos Alcaraz in the final of the 2024 China Open on October 2.