Check Why Nick Kygrios demands Jannik Sinner suspension as BBC pundit blasts drugs ban decision

Nick Kyrgios has blasted the tennis authorities for not banning counterpart Jannik Sinner.

Nick Kyrgios has slammed the decision not to impose a drugs ban on Jannik Sinner, calling it “ridiculous.” The Australian insists that his tennis rival should face a two-year suspension.

News emerged earlier today that Jannik Sinner avoided a ban, as a tribunal ruled he was “not at fault or negligent” regarding a failed drug test from earlier this year.

Sinner’s team argued that the current World No. 1 was contaminated after receiving a bare-handed massage from his physiotherapist.

However, this hasn’t deterred the outspoken Nick Kyrgios from voicing his opinion on the matter.

Taking to social media, the 2022 Wimbledon runner-up expressed his frustration, stating: “Ridiculous—whether it was accidental or planned. You get tested twice with a banned (steroid) substance… you should be gone for 2 years. Your performance was enhanced. Massage cream…”

He concluded his post with, “Yeah nice,” accompanied by a sarcastic eye-rolling emoji.

The fiery outburst from Kyrgios prompted a response from an X user, @Riccardo__07, who replied: “His performances were NOT enhanced; the amount of substance is minimal, it wouldn’t even enhance the performance of a little animal.

“We can debate whether the decision is fair or not based on previous rulings, but scientifically, there’s no doubt that it didn’t alter his performance.”

Kyrgios quickly fired back, saying: “Then why did they take prize money and points from Indian Wells? So, did he do something wrong or not? Because they did say he failed two tests.”

An independent commission determined that the amount of the banned substance, an anabolic steroid called Clostebol, was less than a billionth of a gram.

Following the decision, Jannik Sinner addressed the situation in a statement, saying,

“I will now put this challenging and deeply unfortunate period behind me. I will continue to do everything I can to ensure I comply with the ITIA’s anti-doping program, and I have a team around me that is meticulous in their own compliance.”

Sinner’s lawyer, Jamie Singer of Onside Law, also commented: “Anti-doping rules have to be very strict to be effective. Unfortunately, this sometimes means that entirely innocent athletes can get caught up in them.

“There is no question that Jannik is innocent in this case. The ITIA did not challenge that key principle. However, under strict liability rules, Jannik is responsible for whatever is in his system, even if he is entirely unaware of it, as in this exceptional case.”

Despite the controversy, Sinner is expected to compete in the US Open, which begins later this month.