Novak Djokovic is the latest player to express his opinion on the Jannik Sinner doping case, pointing to "favouritism" while sharing the locker room's thoughts.
Last week, it was confirmed that Sinner, the current world No.1, will serve a three-month ban from February 9 to May 4.
The decision means the 23-year-old will return in time to enter the Rome Masters on May 7 and not skip any Grand Slam tournaments.
Nick Kyrgios and three-time major winner Stan Wawrinka have been the most outspoken about the issue by stating their stances on X.
Ahead of his appearance at the Qatar Open in Doha, Djokovic also weighed in.
"There’s a majority of the players that I’ve talked to in the locker room, not just in the last few days, but also last few months, that are not happy with the way this whole process has been handled," he told the media.
"A majority of the players don’t feel it’s fair. A majority of the players feel like there is favouritism happening. It appears that you can almost affect the outcome if you are a top player, if you have access to the top lawyers."
The 24-time Grand Slam champion referred to the examples of Simona Halep and Tara Moore to state his point about inconsistency within the anti-doping system.
Halep, a former world No.1 and dual major winner, was originally banned for four years before it was reduced to nine months after testing positive for a banned substance. However, she had already missed 18 months when the reduction was implemented.
Britain's Moore was provisionally suspended in June 2022 due to testing positive for a prohibited substance, unable to compete for 19 months.
"Simona Halep and Tara Moore and some other players that are maybe less known that have been struggling to resolve their cases for years, or have got the ban for years... there is so much inconsistencies between the cases," said Djokovic. "Sinner has got a suspension for three months because of mistakes and negligence of his team members, who are working on the tour. This is also something that I, personally, and many other players find strange.
"Now it’s a ripe time for us to really address the system, because the system and the structure obviously doesn’t work, anti-doping, it’s obvious. I hope that in the near future the governing bodies are going to come together and try to find a more effective way to deal with these processes. It’s inconsistent, and it appears to be very unfair."
Djokovic is one of the co-founders of the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA), representing singles players in the top-500 and top-200 in doubles of the ATP and WTA Tours.
The PTPA released a strong statement, condemning the lack of transparency and fairness.
"No matter who you root for, several things are now clear," the statement read. "The 'system' is not a system. It’s a club.
"Supposed case-by-case discretion is, in fact, merely cover for tailored deals, unfair treatment, and inconsistent rulings.
"It’s not just the different results for different players. It’s the lack of transparency. The lack of process. The lack of consistency. The lack of credibility in the alphabet soup of agencies charged with regulating our sports and athletes.
"The lack of commitment from the ATP, WTA, Grand Slams, ITIA, and WADA to reform and create a fair and transparent system going forward.
"This bias is unacceptable for all athletes and shows a deep disrespect for every sport and its fans. It’s time for change. And we will change it."
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