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'That’s the conversation that we should be having': Victoria Azarenka backs Jannik Sinner, calls for anti-doping reform

Originally posted on TennisUpToDate.com | Last updated May 7, 2025 4:16 PM ET

Former world No. 1 Victoria Azarenka addressed the controversial doping case involving Jannik Sinner and shared words of support as the Italian returns to the Rome Open. The Belarusian star suggested that criticism should be directed at improving anti-doping regulations rather than attacking the player himself.

The current world No. 1 returns this week after serving a three-month suspension. Following a ruling that found him not guilty of “fault or negligence” in a case involving Clostebol contamination, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) appealed, seeking a suspension between one and two years. However, Sinner ultimately reached a settlement with WADA, accepting a three-month ban to avoid further legal proceedings, ending the uncertainty over a potential extended suspension.

Azarenka slams doping discrepancies

Azarenka kicked off her Rome campaign with a solid 6–2, 6–3 victory over clay specialist Camila Osorio, earning her 230th career win at WTA 1000 level and her 29th match win in the Italian capital. Her best results in Rome include a final in 2013 and a semifinal in 2009.

Speaking after the match, Azarenka was asked about the Sinner case and expressed her appreciation for the 23-year-old. “I really like Jannik, personally,” she stated after beating Osorio. “I think he’s a great guy. He’s always been very sweet to me. He seems like a pretty humble person. I don’t know him too well, but it’s hard for me to be too critical in a personal sense.”

Azarenka emphasised that criticism should focus on the system itself, noting that Sinner’s case isn’t the only one with questionable handling. “In terms of professional, I think there are discrepancies, where I don’t believe all players are treated the same. It’s not only his case. I think there are a lot of different questions in terms of how things were conducted.”

“I just want to see our sport grow, honestly...This sport gave me so much in my life, and I want to see it grow, become bigger, keep being a dominant sport for women. There’s a lot of sports coming up and giving us competition. We need to keep making those strides forward too.”

“We’re still under the WADA umbrella, which makes it harder to implement some of the rules,” explained Azarenka. “Otherwise, we’d have to take ourselves out of the Olympic pool, which I don’t necessarily think a bad idea."

“We’re often asked, ‘How do you feel about [the system]?’ How I feel about it doesn’t really matter. It’s more about how the rules applied: Are they applied the same way? Is there a modification that needs to be made? I think that’s the conversation that we should be having, more about the things that can be done better.”

“If you talk about Jannik Sinner’s case, people will ask why nobody knew. Well, there’s a legal aspect to it; I understand that. But, you know, it’s a little bit on the Edge,” she added. “I think overall, there has to be better integrity from the organization, personally. It’s a big problem is that we’re under WADA, and WADA only has specific windows when they look to make changes to their rules.

“I don’t think I have all the answers, but there are valid questions that could be asked and see if it makes sense,” she concluded.

This article first appeared on TennisUpToDate.com and was syndicated with permission.

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