Tennis News: Jannik Sinner confession, Greg Rusedski verdict, Nick Kyrgios hush

Jannik Sinner needed to know who his real friends were. The year-end ATP top-ranked had a great year, winning two Grand Slam titles as well as the ATP Finals, but he also had a marred one. Sinner failed two drug tests in March at Indian Wells when he tested positive for the banned substance clostebol.

After testing positive, Sinner was not too sure how his fellow players would receive him in the locker room. Would they think he intentionally cheated and took an anabolic steroid meant to help increase muscle mass? Or, since he is known as one of the nicest players on the ATP tour, would people give him the benefit of the doubt? Sinner did not know.

In a recent interview with Esquire, Sinner confessed he found out who his "real friends" are on the tour after news of his failed tests broke ahead of the Cincinnati Open in August. The Italian even said his play at Wimbledon was slightly affected mentally by his failed tests because he knew about them but could tell no one else. The issue weighed on him.

Jannik Sinner makes a confession

Sinner said, "I couldn’t talk to anyone about it. I couldn’t vent or get help. All the people who knew me and watched me play understood that there was something wrong with me...Everyone immediately told the truth and that allowed me to play. But at Wimbledon, I was white. And even afterwards, my feeling with people was fearful. I went into training at the Cincinnati clubhouse and thought, ‘How are they looking at me? What do they really think of me?.' I realized who my real friends are."

Mark Petchey thinks Nick Kyrgios needs to be quiet

One person who is not Sinner's friend is sometimes-player Nick Kyrgios. The Australian has been heavily critical on social media about Sinner's failed tests and calling for the Italian to be suspended. One tennis commentator who has had enough of Kyrgios' stance and vitriol is Mark Petchey.

In an interview with Betway, Petchey said, "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." He is right, of course.

Greg Rusedski believes Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek are at fault

Former player Greg Rusedski is having none of that talk, however. The Brit believes every player is completely in control of what they have in their bodies at any point. If Sinner, and WTA No. 2 Iga Swiatek, failed a drug test then Sinner and Swiatek are at least partly at fault for testing positive.

Rusedski wrote on X/Twitter, "I think the main issue is the speed of dealing with the positive tests. Other players have been in the same situation and it has not been dealt with in the same manner. As an athlete under WADA, you are 100 percent liable no matter how you are contaminated."

The World Anti-Doping Agency has appealed Sinner being found innocent of any wrongdoing by the International Tennis Integrity Agency to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. If CAS agrees with WADA (and Rusedski and Kyrgios) and thinks Sinner should be suspended then tennis will be affected and likely viewed more negatively by those who love it.

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