Tennis legend Serena Williams has called out what she sees as a glaring double standard in how doping violations are handled in professional tennis, saying that if she were in Jannik Sinner’s shoes, the consequences would have been far more severe.
In a candid interview with Time magazine after being named to the 2025 TIME100 list of most influential people, the 23-time Grand Slam champion didn’t mince words.
“I love the guy, love this game,” Serena began. “He’s great for the sport. Men’s tennis needs him. But let’s be honest—if I had done the same thing, I would’ve gotten 20 years. They would have stripped me of Grand Slams.”
Sinner, the current world No. 1, accepted a three-month doping suspension earlier this year after testing positive twice for clostebol, a banned anabolic substance. He claimed the trace amounts entered his system through a topical cream applied by a trainer after a minor injury.
While a tribunal initially cleared him, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) challenged that decision, eventually leading to the reduced ban after an agreement was reached.
The light punishment stirred controversy, with many—including Williams—questioning the fairness and consistency of how doping infractions are judged across genders and reputations.
“I was always paranoid about what went into my body,” Serena said. “In another multiverse, if something like that ever happened to me, I’d probably be in jail.”
Sinner, fresh off wins at the Australian and US Opens, is set to return to competition on May 4. His case has been compared to others like women’s world No. 2 Iga Swiatek, who received a one-month ban for trimetazidine, and Simona Halep, whose initial four-year suspension for roxadustat was reduced to nine months on appeal.
Though Serena hasn’t played competitively since the 2022 US Open, she confessed that the passion still burns.
“I miss it a lot. I miss it with all my heart,” she said. “I’m healthy. If I wasn’t, maybe it’d be easier. But I still feel the itch.”
