Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek’s wins at this year’s Wimbledon as the men’s and women’s singles champions haven’t sat well with many fans, since both had previously served suspensions for testing positive for banned substances last year. Swiatek was given a one-month ban at the end of 2024 after she proved that a sleep aid she was using had been contaminated. Sinner, on the other hand, was suspended for three months.
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The World No. 1 said he was accidentally exposed to a banned substance when a team member used a spray to treat a cut on his finger that contained an anabolic steroid. Later, Sinner and his team claimed the contamination happened when the same team member gave him a massage. He was originally facing a one-year suspension, but reached a deal with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to serve a three-month ban.
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The timing of his suspension allowed him to avoid missing any Grand Slam tournaments. When he returned, he reached the French Open final but lost to Carlos Alcaraz. At Wimbledon, he got his revenge on Alcaraz by defeating him and winning his first Wimbledon title.
While some experts and former players have expressed disappointment over Sinner and Swiatek winning Wimbledon because of their past suspensions as ‘drug cheats’, former Wimbledon champion Pat Cash responded to the criticism and told them to “do their homework.”
Well done, Jannik. I’m happy for him and his team. I know his coach Darren Cahill very well, he is a good mate of mine. I have followed what has been going on over the last six months or so, especially around the drug bans. I’ve heard a lot of stuff pop up on social media about the ‘drug cheats’ winning Wimbledon, but it’s a little sad that this is still going on.
began Cash, in a post on his Instagram account
Stop…Misinformation
Before you spout out some rubbish, I think people need to do a bit of homework. Even ten minutes of homework. Just check out what other champions are saying and know about the drug testing. Swiatek and Sinner were contaminated. It was not performance-enhancing. If you think WADA and the International Tennis Integrity Unit don’t do their homework and check this out, then you are absolutely insane. So please stop this. It’s misinformation. They are not drug cheats. They are the best players in the world for a reason. They are great players, they are determined and focused. Their mental capacity is incredible when you think what Sinner has been through. I’m very happy for them, and let’s acknowledge and accept their greatness rather than taint them because your favourite player didn’t win.
Source: Timesnownews