Roger Federer gives verdict on Jannik Sinner doping controversy - 'Noise that we don't want'

Jannik Sinner was at the centre of a doping controversy in March, and the debate has continued in the months since it was announced he would face no punishment for what was deemed to be the accidental ingestion of banned substances. Roger Federer, who won 20 Grand Slams during a glittering career, has weighed in on the issue, admitting that the situation is not a good look for tennis.

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Roger Federer has claimed that the controversy surrounding world No. 1 Jannik Sinner testing positive for banned substances is “not something we want to see in our sport”.

Sinner, who is the favourite to win the US Open after the early exits of both Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz, tested positive for the anabolic steroid clostebol in March.

After an investigation by the International Tennis Integrity Agency, it was deemed that the Italian had ingested the drug accidentally.

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As a result, Sinner avoided suspension and any punishment, a decision which has divided opinion.

"It’s not something we want to see in our sport, these types of news, regardless if he did something or not, or any player did," Federer told Today. "It’s just noise that we don’t want.

"I understand it’s a tricky situation. It’s the nightmare of every athlete and team to have these allegations and these problems because we fill out these forms all day every day.

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"And it lives with you. Every morning when you wake up, you think, ‘Is somebody at the door coming to test me?’ So it’s really difficult."

Sinner has won the Miami Open and the Cincinnati Open since the controversy. He claimed the contamination was a result of treatment from a sports therapist who had massaged the player while using an over-the-counter spray containing clostebol to treat a wound.

Critics of the decision not to punish Sinner suggested he had been treated differently to players who had previously tested positive for banned substances.

"I understand the frustration of, 'Has he been treated the same as others?'" Federer added. "And I think this is where it comes down to.

"I think we all trust pretty much that Jannik didn’t do anything, but the inconsistency potentially that he didn’t have to sit out while they weren’t 100% sure what was going on, I think that’s the question here that needs to be answered.

"But look, it is what it is, and we need to trust the process as well of anyone involved here."

Sinner is currently playing in the US Open and beat Tommy Paul on Monday night to set up a highly-anticipated quarter-final against Daniil Medvedev.

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Thoughts?