Boris Becker, former tennis superstar. © APA/afp / TIZIANA FABI

Becker defends Sinner: “Below all the bullshit”

Former tennis star Boris Becker has criticized the statements made by some players regarding the prominent doping cases involving Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek.

13 January 2025

From: dpa/dl

"When players comment on it who have not verified it, I find it disgusting," said the six-time Grand Slam tournament winner on Eurosport: "I don't say that about a colleague."

Before the start of the Australian Open, Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios described it as "disgusting" that Sinner and Swiatek, both world number one, had tested positive for doping. 24-time Grand Slam tournament winner Novak Djokovic from Serbia publicly questioned "how the system works. Why certain players are not treated exactly the same as the other players."

“You stay out of it because you can’t know all the details.” Boris Becker

Becker said that his former protégé Djokovic was allowed to be so critical "as the best in the class." But the 57-year-old claimed that everyone else was not allowed to be: "You stay out of it because you can't know all the details." Kyrgios himself returned to the tennis stage on Monday with a huge disappointment.

Sinner hearing in April

Sinner tested positive for the anabolic steroid clostebol twice in March, but was acquitted by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (Itia) because the investigation committee found that he was not guilty of deliberate misconduct. The World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) has appealed against this and is demanding a ban of one to two years. The hearing will take place on April 16 and 17.

Jannik Sinner after the first round in Melbourne. © APA/afp / DAVID GRAY

In August, Swiatek tested positive for the drug trimetazidine. Her explanation: a contaminated drug. The investigators considered it a minor case and banned the Polish woman for a month. Just like with Sinner, the public only found out about all this months later.

Even a steak from Argentina can be a problem

Becker also believes that the two prominent doping cases are "not good for tennis". However, the 57-year-old added: "The story is getting more and more difficult because you can't go to a restaurant anymore because the steak might come from Argentina. Maybe the bull was given something to make the meat taste better," said Becker: "It's getting more and more difficult for athletes to stay clean."