Nick Kyrgios told to ‘give it a rest’ after attacks on Jannik Sinner over failed drug tests
Nick Kyrgios has been urged to stop the verbal attacks aimed at Jannik Sinner following the world No 1’s failed doping tests with respected commentator Mark Petchey saying the sport should allow “the process to go through due care and attention”.
Sinner tested positive for clostebol in March, but the Italian was allowed to continue playing and the news was kept under wraps until the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) concluded its investigation.
In August the ITIA released its full verdict and it was found that Sinner bore “no fault or negligence” as the banned substance entered his system via his physiotherapist as Giacomo Naldi used spray containing clostebol to treat a cut on his finger and later administered a massage.
Sinner was stripped of his ranking points and prize money for the Indian Wells Open in March, but he escaped a suspension.
But that is not the end of that as the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) recently announced that it would appeal the ITIA decision, adding it wants a ban of between one year and two years to apply.
Kyrgios made it clear as soon as the news became public that he was unimpressed that Sinner was not banned and he has taken aim at the Italian on several occasions on social media.
The most recent was when it was announced that former women’s No 1 Iga Swiatek also tested positive for a banned substance, but she was hit with a one-month.
“OUR SPORT IS COOKED,” he wrote in reply to a post about Swiatek’s suspension, adding: “The excuse that we can all use is that we didn’t know. Simply didn’t know. Professionals at the highest level of sport can now just say ‘we didn’t know’.”
Former player and coach Petchey says Kyrgios needs to allow the law to take its course.
“Yes, Nick Kyrgios needs to give it a rest. Sinner has been found not guilty, right? And we’re about to get the WADA appeal. Let’s just wait for that. You have to let the process go through due care and attention. This is a massive thing. It is somebody’s career,” he said in an interview with Betway.
Nick Kyrgios News
Nick Kyrgios and Iga Swiatek could be set for an uncomfortable meeting on court
Nick Kyrgios fires a fresh swipe at Jannik Sinner over failed drug tests
Pundit Petchey also addressed Kyrgios’ comments that today’s tennis players are boring as he has taken aim at the likes of Sinner and Casper Ruud in the past over on-court and off-court personalities.
“Nick can do great anywhere, maybe not so much on clay. Nick is one of the best tennis players in the world. The question is whether he can do it week in, week out. And that’s a real skill and it’s a real testament to those players that can do it,” he said.
“Nick is awesome for the game. When he is involved the crowds love him, the younger generations go with him. There is nobody who brings the eyeballs to tennis that Nick does at times. Nick being fit and healthy and putting his style of tennis on the court is great for tennis.”
“I don’t agree with what he said about the personalities of the current crop of players. I think [Carlos] Alcaraz is arguably one of the greatest tennis players already. Are you going to say that one of the greatest tennis players that lights up a tennis court in a way that very few tennis players have had over the years is suddenly dull?
“I’ll always go back to the Fire and Ice era of [Bjorn] Borg and [John] McEnroe. If Bjorn had played [someone similar to] Bjorn nobody would be talking about that era in terms of how exciting it was.
“It was Mac who brought the passion, Jimmy Connors the bad boy. Borg the ice. You need great rivalries and different personalities. It is Fire and Ice 2.0 for me with Jannik and Carlos.
“We might not have the trash talk of the 80s but tennis actually is an unbelievably healthy space. You want to see people who are trying to win big competitions that are being ultra professional in doing that. Otherwise, what are we celebrating? People that are mediocre.”
