Serena Williams has voiced strong concerns about what she sees as a double standard in how doping violations are handled in professional tennis—especially when comparing her hypothetical treatment to that of current men’s world No. 1, Jannik Sinner.
In a candid interview with *Time Magazine*, the 23-time Grand Slam champion reflected on Sinner’s recent doping controversy, in which the Italian tested positive but avoided major punishment after WADA concluded the violation was accidental. Sinner claimed contamination occurred during a massage from a member of his support staff, and WADA accepted that there was no intent to cheat, attributing the incident to negligence from his team.
While Sinner faced no suspension and retained his titles—including the Australian Open and US Open—Williams believes the outcome would have been far different if it were her in the same situation.
“He’s a great guy and good for tennis, and I truly like him,” Williams said. “But let’s be real if I had tested positive like that, I would’ve been banned for 20 years. My Grand Slams would’ve been stripped. There’s no way I’d be given the same treatment.”
The 42-year-old legend, who dominated the sport for nearly three decades, said she always exercised extreme caution with substances during her career, precisely to avoid such incidents.
“I was overly careful with everything I put into my body,” she added. “Because I knew the rules wouldn’t bend for me.”
Williams’ comments also come amid other controversial doping rulings. Iga Swiatek, the current women’s world No. 2, received only a one-month ban in November after testing positive for a banned substance. Former world No. 1 Simona Halep, initially suspended for four years due to a positive test for roxadustat, saw her ban reduced to nine months on appeal.
The tennis icon’s remarks have reignited discussions about fairness and consistency in anti-doping enforcement, particularly between male and female athletes.
Though Williams said she’s not interested in tearing anyone down, her words raise deeper questions about whether tennis truly holds all players to the same standard especially when race, gender, and reputation come into play.
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