"Why the uproar when athletes abuse TUE"- John Millman lashes out at criticism over Jannik Sinner's doping result after Simona Halep "butcher job"
John Millman was left fuming as Jannik Sinner suffered online abuse despite receiving a clean chit after his doping test results came to light. The former Australian tennis player instead called for anti-doping reform. He suggested that the World No. 1 being dragged into controversy despite the negligible traces of the banned substance found in his tests wasn't acceptable.
Sinner faced immense backlash from the tennis community, including a few tennis players, after his failed doping tests from March 2024 came to light on Tuesday, August 20. While the Italian tested positive for “a billionth of a gram” of Clostebol (a banned anabolic steroid), it was established by the Independent Tribunal that he was innocent and bore no fault in the outcome of the testing.
It should be noted that Jannik Sinner’s fitness coach, Umberto Ferrara, and physiotherapist, Giacomo Naldi, were considered responsible for exposing him to the banned substance, which was unintentionally transferred to him through direct contact with Naldi’s injured finger, where he used a spray (Trofodermin), which included Clostebol.
The Tribunal also clarified that the miniscule amount found in the World No. 1’s sample did not enhance his performance in any way. John Millman was thus furious at Sinner being accused of doping and instead pointed fingers at the International Tennis Integrity Agency, claiming the result shouldn’t have been considered positive to begin with.
"Before jumping to conclusions, Jannik Sinner had less than a billionth of a gram in his system.. I believe him 100% .. maybe we should change threshold cater for contamination," he wrote on X.
Millman denounced the scrutiny the 23-year-old was subjected to, calling attention to the “TUE abuse” prevalent in sports instead. TUE, or Therapeutic Use Exemption, gives athletes a green light to use banned medications. In 2023, the ITIA issued a strict warning to tennis players regarding the misuse of ADHD medication amid the growing frequency of such cases.
Millman indicated that it should be such cases that are investigated rather than piling on an athlete like Jannik Sinner, who was cleared of any wrongdoings.
"Finally, why the uproar for this when we allow athletes in all sports, including tennis, to abuse TUE’s?" he wrote.
The former tennis player opined that the ITIA showed immense efficiency while handling Jannik Sinner’s case—a factor, he believed, was absent during Simona Halep’s doping ordeal, where the Romanian received a four-year doping ban, only for it to be reduced to nine months after one and a half years on the sidelines.
"Furthermore, the ITIA handled this 1000x better than the butcher job with Simona.. Jannik is about as good a person that exists on tour. At least read the report before you pass judgement," he added.
"Deeply unfortunate period" – Jannik Sinner on his doping tests
While Jannik Sinner’s case was resolved quickly, he did suffer a few consequences for the positive results he incurred during his Indian Wells campaign. The World No. 1 was stripped of $325,000 in prize money, which he earned for his semifinal run at the event. He also lost 400 ranking points as a result.
Addressing the taxing ordeal, Sinner said:
"I will now put this challenging and deeply unfortunate period behind me," Sinner wrote in his statement on social media.
"I will continue to do everything I can to ensure I continue to comply with the ITIA’s anti-doping programme and I have a team around me that are meticulous in their own compliance," he added.
Just hours before the unfortunate incident came to light, Sinner won his third Masters 1000 title at the Cincinnati Open. This was his fifth title in 2024 and his 15th overall. He will now set his sights on the US Open, where he is in pursuit of his second Grand Slam after this year’s Australian Open.