Daniil Medvedev was asked about Jannik Sinner’s situation during a China Open press conference. (Image: Getty)
has admitted that he is “sympathetic” to after the world No. 1’s failed drugs test controversy was brought back to light, despite the Italian being cleared of any wrongdoing by an independent tribunal in August.
Sinner tested positive twice for an anabolic steroid in March but avoided a suspension via an independent tribunal, announced by the International Tennis Integrity Agency, after determining that he was not to blame.
The accepted explanation was that his physiotherapist, who no longer works with Sinner, used a spray containing the steroid to treat a cut on their own finger before massaging the tennis star.
However, the . They claim that the finding of “no fault or negligence” was not correct under the applicable rules and WADA are seeking a ban of up to two years.
Medvedev revealed that he has not witnessed too much discussion between players on the subject, but expressed his support for Sinner in a situation “no one wants to be in”.
Speaking after his China Open quarter-final win over Flavio Cobolli, Medvedev said: “Actually, to be honest, I didn’t discuss it much in the locker room, of course except with my Russian friends because we talk more. I would generally think that the view, like everything in life, is some think that he should be banned, whatever, some think no, he should not be.
WADA have appealed the decision to Jannik Sinner’s doping case. (Image: Getty)
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“My view is always on these things is kind of try to distance myself where the situation is very tough for him, for sure, to deal with it. As I always said, no one wants to be in this situation because, I said it in press, for me imagine tomorrow you get an email, because I think it’s an email, you fail your doping test. They say for whatever reason, like cocaine or some drug you don’t even know the name of.
“You’re like: ‘Wow, what I do now because I have no idea how it happened that it’s in my pee, blood, whatever’.
“So, yeah, it’s a tricky situation. I want to say he does what he needs to do. WADA does probably what they need to do. Let’s see how it finishes. We thought maybe it was finished, but no.”
Medvedev next faces for a place in the final against either Sinner or home favourite Yunchaokete Bu.
The Spanish star insisted that the reopening of Sinner’s doping case is “not a good sign for tennis”, comments echoed by Medvedev ahead of their clash.
“Yeah, I’m the same a little bit like Carlos,” Medvedev explained. “I’m sympathetic to Jannik. I don’t think it has a bad, really bad look in tennis because I think, yeah, if 10 top-10 players suddenly would be on the same substance or something, it would be different. I think it’s just an individual situation which we’ll see how it ends.”