“Should be gone”: Nick Kyrgios hits out at "No Fault" finding in Jannik Sinner anti-doping case ahead of US Open

The news that ATP world No. 1 Jannik Sinner had twice tested positive—but would serve no ban—for the banned substance clostebol has gone off like an atomic bomb across the tennis world, and fellow players Nick Kyrgios and Denis Shapovalov are sounding off on social media.

“Ridiculous,” Kyrgios posted to Twitter/X on Tuesday. “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…. Yeah nice 🙄”

Sinner was less than 24 hours removed from winning his second Masters 1000 title of the season at the Cincinnati Open when he confirmed that he was ruled to bear No Intentional Fault or Negligence by the International Tennis Integrity Unit (ITIA).

The reigning Australian Open champion is in the midst of a breakthrough season, having risen to No. 1 after reaching the semifinals of Roland Garros, but it was revealed that, in the days after his Masters 1000 victory at the Miami Open, he had tested positive for clostebol and would later test positive for the same banned substance weeks later. Both positive tests came with mandatory provisional suspensions.

Both suspensions were quickly lifted and the ITIA was ultimately satisfied by Sinner’s explanation that the substance had been accidentally ingested vis à vis massages from his physiotherapist, who had used an over-the-counter spray containing clostebol to treat a cut on his finger.

But not all of his fellow players are satisfied by the decision, with Kyrgios and Shapovalov both taking to Twitter/X to comment on the matter.

“Different rules for different players,” wrote Shapovalov, who was recently defaulted from a match at the Mubadala Citi DC Open due to an audible obscenity. On appeal, the Canadian was allowed to retain prize money and ranking points that were initially taken away due to the default.

“Can’t imagine what every other player that got banned for contaminated substances is feeling right now,” he added.

Kyrgios, who has largely been off court due to various injuries, has spent the last year working as an analyst and thus unsurprisingly spoke more directly about the issue, debating fans in his replies following his initial statement.

Kyrgios, who has largely been off court due to various injuries, has spent the last year working as an analyst and thus unsurprisingly spoke more directly about the issue, debating fans in his replies following his initial statement.

“The amount doesn’t matter,” argued Kyrgios, referring to the trace amounts of the substance found in Sinner’s positive tests. “Wtf his team doing with something like that anyway? Save it, he failed 2 steroid tests. Should be gone.”

British player Liam Broady criticized the speed with which Sinner’s case was resolved, posting, “Whether Sinner was doping or not. This is not right. Plenty of players go through the same thing and have to wait months or YEARS for their innocence to be declared. Not a good look.”

With most players converging on Flushing Meadows for next week’s US Open, Sinner is likely to face questions from both the media and his fellow players as he contends to win a second Grand Slam title in 2024.