{"id":15625,"date":"2024-12-29T09:16:10","date_gmt":"2024-12-29T09:16:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=15625"},"modified":"2024-12-29T09:16:10","modified_gmt":"2024-12-29T09:16:10","slug":"kept-in-dark-djokovic-weighs-in-on-doping-drama","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=15625","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;Kept in dark&#8217;: Djokovic weighs in on doping drama"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"sticky-cell css-t73cya-StyledStickyCell ec9stsv1\">\n<figure class=\"css-lqcfdt-StyledFigure e1rue1fc3\"><picture class=\"e1rue1fc2 image css-2txyj0-PictureWithIntrinsicRatio-StyledArticleImage eosncpx0\"><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"css-16r7l45-StyledImage en5ut4d0\" src=\"https:\/\/images.thewest.com.au\/publication\/C-17228188\/270343f6859af73c23f337b69e5ec9ca6d84a728-16x9-x0y0w1280h720.jpg?imwidth=810&amp;impolicy=wan_v3\" alt=\"Novak Djokovic trains ahead of the Brisbane International. (Jono Searle\/AAP PHOTOS)\" \/><\/picture><figcaption class=\"e1rue1fc0 figcaption css-fpkd5q-StyledFigCaption-StyledFigcaption e13f1dd25\"><span class=\"css-1jz8t79-StyledFigCaptionText e13f1dd24\"><span class=\"css-1vt5x9l-Caption e13f1dd23\">Novak Djokovic trains ahead of the Brisbane International. (Jono Searle\/AAP PHOTOS)<\/span>\u00a0Credit:\u00a0AAP<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div data-testid=\"BreachScreen\">\n<div class=\"css-1ket735-StyledArticleContent ec9stsv2\">\n<div class=\"css-1qizp4e-StyledNestedGrid ec9stsv4\">\n<aside>\n<div class=\"ec9stsv3 css-1wjn2od-StyledSharing-TheWestStyledSharing e1sjvqe43\"><\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<div>\n<div id=\"ArticleContent\" class=\"css-1bgobxc-StyledBlockContent eh7f8mi1\">\n<p class=\"css-1ix6vwn-StyledParagraph e4e0a020\">Novak Djokovic has taken aim at tennis&#8217;s double standards, frustrated by being &#8220;kept in the dark&#8221; during Jannik Sinner&#8217;s doping case.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-1ix6vwn-StyledParagraph e4e0a020\">The former world No.1, seeking a record 25th grand slam title at the Australian Open next month, is top seed in a rare Brisbane International appearance this week.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-1ix6vwn-StyledParagraph e4e0a020\">He&#8217;ll also team up with Nick Kyrgios in doubles, the pair to headline Monday night&#8217;s action in the Australian&#8217;s long-awaited return from injury.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-1ix6vwn-StyledParagraph e4e0a020\">They have already teamed up off court though, Djokovic backing up Kygrios&#8217;s initial jabs in a lengthy address of current world No.1 Sinner&#8217;s ongoing doping case.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-1ix6vwn-StyledParagraph e4e0a020\">The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) levelled charges against Sinner and former women&#8217;s world No.1 Iga Swiatek for breaches.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-1ix6vwn-StyledParagraph e4e0a020\">Sinner tested positive twice for an anabolic steroid in March, but avoided a ban because the ITIA determined he was not to blame &#8211; a decision the World Anti-Doping Agency has since appealed.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-1ix6vwn-StyledParagraph e4e0a020\">Swiatek also managed to accept a one-month suspension in November for testing positive to the banned substance trimetazidine.<\/p>\n<div class=\"css-1t0xcvl-StyledInlineTheGameBanner eqv03uy0\">\n<div>\n<h1><\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"css-1ix6vwn-StyledParagraph e4e0a020\">Meanwhile Australian Max Purcell is serving a suspension for unknowingly receiving an IV infusion of vitamins above the allowed limit of 100 millilitres.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-1ix6vwn-StyledParagraph e4e0a020\">English doubles player Tara Moore served a 19-month ban that ended earlier this year for a doping offence she was ultimately cleared of.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-1ix6vwn-StyledParagraph e4e0a020\">Kyrgios has labelled Sinner and Swiatek&#8217;s cases &#8220;disgusting&#8221; for tennis and described his sport&#8217;s integrity as &#8220;awful&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-1ix6vwn-StyledParagraph e4e0a020\">Djokovic, who won Olympic gold but no ATP titles in 2024, was more tempered in his assessment.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-1ix6vwn-StyledParagraph e4e0a020\">&#8220;I&#8217;m not questioning whether (Sinner) took the banned substance intentionally or not,&#8221; he said on Sunday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-1ix6vwn-StyledParagraph e4e0a020\">&#8220;We&#8217;ve had plenty of players in the past and currently under suspension for not even testing positive to the banned substances.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-1ix6vwn-StyledParagraph e4e0a020\">&#8220;Some players with lower rankings waiting for their case to be resolved for over a year.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-1ix6vwn-StyledParagraph e4e0a020\">&#8220;I&#8217;ve been really frustrated &#8230; to see we&#8217;ve been kept in the dark for at least five months (on the Sinner case).<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-1ix6vwn-StyledParagraph e4e0a020\">&#8220;The ATP hasn&#8217;t really talked in depth about it. Why have they kept that case away from the public?<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-1ix6vwn-StyledParagraph e4e0a020\">&#8220;We see Simona Halep&#8217;s case on the WTA Tour, now Iga Swiatek&#8217;s case.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-1ix6vwn-StyledParagraph e4e0a020\">&#8220;It&#8217;s not a good image for our sport.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-1ix6vwn-StyledParagraph e4e0a020\">&#8220;I&#8217;m just questioning the way the system works and why certain players aren&#8217;t treated the same as others.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-1ix6vwn-StyledParagraph e4e0a020\">&#8220;Maybe some ranking reasons are behind it or some players have more financial backing and stronger legal teams to tackle these cases.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-1ix6vwn-StyledParagraph e4e0a020\">Djokovic had knee surgery this year but returned to make the Wimbledon final, then opted out of the end-of-year ATP Finals as Sinner ended a year of dominance with an eighth title.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-1ix6vwn-StyledParagraph e4e0a020\">But the Serbian, a 10-time winner at Melbourne Park, thinks he still has years left in the tank.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-1ix6vwn-StyledParagraph e4e0a020\">He spent 10 days training with former foe Andy Murray before arriving in Australia and will have the Scottish great in his coach&#8217;s box at the Australian Open before deciding if they continue beyond that.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-1ix6vwn-StyledParagraph e4e0a020\">&#8220;It&#8217;s strange for me to share all these kinds of insights about how I feel on the court, some of the secrets of what I&#8217;m going through, what I&#8217;m thinking about, how I see my game, with somebody who has been one of my top rivals,&#8221; Djokovic said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"css-1ix6vwn-StyledParagraph e4e0a020\">&#8220;But I&#8217;m so glad and very thankful that he has accepted to work with me, and in Australia \u2026 he&#8217;s very meticulous, dedicated and professional.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Novak Djokovic trains ahead of the Brisbane International. (Jono Searle\/AAP PHOTOS)\u00a0Credit:\u00a0AAP Novak Djokovic has taken aim at tennis&#8217;s double standards, frustrated by being &#8220;kept in the dark&#8221;&#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":15628,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15625","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-tennis"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>&#039;Kept in dark&#039;: Djokovic weighs in on doping drama - 24\/7 News America<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=15625\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"&#039;Kept in dark&#039;: Djokovic weighs in on doping drama - 24\/7 News America\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Novak Djokovic trains ahead of the Brisbane International. 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