The uncomfortable truth behind this year's Wimbledon champions
Both were well-deserved first-time champions at the All England Club in their respective finals over the weekend. Sinner downed his arch rival and defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, five weeks on from his French Open heartbreak, while Swiatek claimed the first double bagel in a Wimbledon final in 114 years.
Advertisement
But both, inescapably, had an elephant lurking in the corner of the ballroom.
Wimbledon champions Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek both tested positive for banned substances last year (AELTC via Getty Images)
Wimbledon champions Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek both tested positive for banned substances last year (AELTC via Getty Images)
Last year, to the shock of the sporting world, Sinner and Swiatek failed drug tests. Sinner twice tested positive for the banned anabolic steroid clostebol, first at the Indian Wells Masters tournament in March 2024 and then in an out-of-competition sample eight days later.
The case was only made public four months later, prior to the US Open, when the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) cleared Sinner of any wrongdoing. By February of this year, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) entered a 'case resolution agreement' with Sinner, handing him a three-month suspension. Sinner accepted the offer, keen to avoid a lengthy legal battle.
Advertisement
WADA accepted the cause, which read that Sinner's physiotherapist Giocomo Naldi cut his finger on a scalpel and used a spray, which was 'easily available over the counter in any Italian pharmacy', containing clostebol to treat his finger. Naldi than gives Sinner a daily full-body massage and the Italian player later tested positive.
As for Swiatek, the Pole accepted a one-month suspension after testing positive for the prohibited substance trimetazidine (TMZ) in August. It is a medication used to treat heart conditions, but Swiatek was found to have been 'at the lowest end of the range for no significant fault or negligence' by the ITIA. It only became public in November, after the 2024 season concluded.
Swiatek explained that the positive test was caused by a contaminated supply of the non-prescription medication melatonin, which she uses to help with jet lag and sleep issues, provided to her by her physio. The product was contaminated during manufacturing, an investigation concluded, resulting in an extremely low trace of TMZ.
In both cases, the reasoning has been accepted by the authoritative bodies involved. What is less digestible, for fans of the sport and various sections of the locker room, is the notion of preferential treatment for two of tennis's top players.
Sinner celebrates his first Wimbledon title on Sunday but was banned for three months earlier this year (Getty Images)
Sinner celebrates his first Wimbledon title on Sunday but was banned for three months earlier this year (Getty Images)
Swiatek claimed her first Wimbledon crown with a stunning 6-0 6-0 win over Amanda Anisimova on Saturday (Getty Images)
Swiatek claimed her first Wimbledon crown with a stunning 6-0 6-0 win over Amanda Anisimova on Saturday (Getty Images)
Advertisement
Swiatek's one-month ban covered the Asian swing of tournaments after last year's US Open. Sinner's three-month suspension this year took place between the Australian Open in January (which he won) and the French Open in May. He was even back a day before his home tournament, the Italian Open.
Neither missed a Grand Slam. As such, it was not an uncommon viewpoint that it all looked a little too convenient.
Three-time Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka stated he 'didn't believe in a clean sport anymore' after news of Sinner's three-month ban and the timing of it. World No 4 Jessica Pegula said after Swiatek's suspension that it 'seems so hit or miss with how people get punished.' Nick Kyrgios, rather more bluntly, lamented both cases, and simply posted an asterisk on X after Sinner's Wimbledon triumph on Sunday night.
By contrast to Sinner and Swiatek, British doubles specialist Tara Moore was provisionally suspended for 19 months after testing positive for banned substances boldenone and nandrolone in 2022. The ITIA, eventually, accepted her testimony that she had eaten contaminated meat while competing in Colombia, but only in December 2023, by which point Moore had lost her ranking points and a heap of potential prize money.
Tara Moore was provisionally suspended for 19 months (Getty Images)
Tara Moore was provisionally suspended for 19 months (Getty Images)
Advertisement
'I guess only the top players' images matter,' Moore wrote on X last summer, after Sinner's case became public.
'I guess only the independent tribunal's opinion on the top players is taken as sound and right. Yet, they question them in my case. Just makes no sense.'
It would be far easier to overlook the muddy waters surrounding Sinner and Swiatek in the last year. Both showed exceptional technical and athletic skill in their triumphs on the grass of SW19 in the last fortnight. And both have their integrity intact, after episodes which will no doubt have kept them awake at night.
But there is a genuine undertone of whether they, particularly Sinner, were fortunate to be competing at Wimbledon at all. To call the length of their suspensions, and their timing, favourable would be an understatement. For the winners of the most prestigious tournament in the world to have been shrouded in such contentious cases, in just the last 12 months, is a damaging and uncomfortable look for tennis.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
an hour ago
Amanda Anisimova reflects on 'surreal' Wimbledon finish, momentum headed into favorite major US Open
Amanda Anisimova had the best Grand Slam finish of her career at The Wimbledon Championships, and though she fell short to Iga Świątek in the final, the American tennis star is taking away some unmatched memories and lessons for her next major of the season. Amanda Anisimova opens up on Wimbledon finish, champagne interruptions "It was such a remarkable experience for me, and making it to the first Grand Slam final and it being at Wimbledon was a surreal feeling," the 23-year-old said in a new interview with "Good Morning America." "Even though it didn't go the way I would have wanted it to go, my opponent obviously was was playing some great tennis, and I've had to compete against so many incredible athletes throughout the entire fortnight," she continued. Despite her runner-up finish, Anisimova has since jumped up the WTA rankings, breaking into the top 10 for the first time at No. 7. "It feels so surreal to be ranked [No.] 7 right now -- it's my career high and what a quick turnaround for me," she told "GMA." Anisimova added that there were larger takeaways, like having her family present and "getting to experience that moment with me," which she called "incredibly special." "Getting to meet Kate Middleton after the final at the ceremony, there were so many special moments and so many other things that I can take away apart from the performance in itself," she added. The New Jersey native took a hiatus from the professional circuit in May 2023 until January 2024 to focus on her mental health and said that "it's been quite the journey coming back." "The most important thing for me since coming back has honestly been doing everything on my own terms and just enjoying the moment," she said. "And that's what I told myself coming out into Wimbledon. I was just incredibly excited to just be playing in the main draw, because I didn't make it last year." Anisimova made history as the youngest American woman singles player to advance to the Wimbledon finals -- after defeating world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka -- since Serena Williams. "Getting to play on on Centre Court and winning against the most incredible athlete in tennis right now was super special to me and just an exhilarating feeling," she said. "It'll last me a lifetime of memories for sure." The iconic All England Lawn Tennis venue brought with it some very posh quirks, including champagne bottles popping mid-match that prompted officials to silence spectators. "That was like the 15th time, so I think that my reaction was valid -- it was just a reminder of where I was," Anisimova recalled. "It felt very English -- but it was a funny experience for sure. And then after the match, I was able to laugh about it afterwards, of course." Amanda Anisimova has high hopes to 'go far' at US Open With the final major of the season just over a month out, Anisimova said she's excited to return to Queens and get on the courts at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. "The U.S. Open is my favorite tournament by far. It's always super exciting to be playing there, and I'm sure I'll have the whole home crowd cheering for me over there," she said. "Again, all of my family is going to come and support me -- I am sure it's going to be a great tournament. And hopefully I can go far again." Sabalenka is the current defending women's singles U.S. Open champion.
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
Former NHL enforcer Nick Tarnasky gives full story behind viral golf fight video: ‘That instantly set him off'
Former NHL enforcer Nick Tarnasky has shared his side of the wild golf course fight that blew up in social media videos last week. On the 'Spittin' Chiclets' podcast, Tarnasky said the fight erupted on Hole 15 of the Alberta Springs Golf Course in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada on July 4, with an inebriated man taking 20-25 minutes to play each hole and challenging course-goers to fights. 'At the end of the day, I asked him not to, told him he shouldn't get involved with me, I asked him to move on, I gave him every opportunity not to, and he charged at me,' Tarnasky said. 'I'm not going to fold over, that's not my nature.' The fight did not end well for the drunk golfer, since identified as a man named Trevor Ogilvie, who ended up getting tossed in a pond and badly beaten up by Tarnasky. Tarnasky, who is 6-foot-2, 230 pounds and played five seasons in the NHL, said the altercation took place after Ogilvie was threatening to fight just about everyone in his path, including Tarnasky's friend and friend's fiancee. With Ogilvie and his friend holding up Hole 15, Tarnasky said he rolled up and said, 'Hey guys, we gotta get moving.' 3 Ex-NHLer Nick Tarnasky (left) fighting Trevor Ogilvie on July 4. X/NUCLRGOLF 'That instantly set him off,' Tarnasky recalled. 'He's doing the fist-clenching and the pumping his arms, and that's where the altercation starts that's on the video.' Tarnasky said he was trying to 'make it fun' and not escalate the situation by threatening Ogilvie, but he couldn't help but warn that he would toss Ogilvie into the nearby pond. 'If I hear I'm going to get thrown in the pond by this f—ing mutant, maybe I'm going to chill out,' Tarnasky said. 'I thought maybe that could be a fun way to be like, 'You guys are in the wrong, let's speed things up.'' Ogilvie, who later admitted that the incident was 'not his finest moment' and that his 'mouth ran faster than is brain,' did not take the hint, and ended up getting bodyslammed into the pond by Tarnasky, who accumulated 297 total penalty minutes in the NHL. 3 Trevor Ogilvie admitted the fight was 'not his finest moment.' X/NUCLRGOLF After the portion of the incident that can be seen in the viral video, Tarnasky said he told Ogilvie and his friend to 'get the f— outta here,' which they eventually did. The police eventually showed up to the course, with Tarnasky openly explaining what he did and why he did it. Tarnasky called the aftermath of the crazy scene 'pretty tough' and 'pretty overwhelming,' even if he's being heralded as the hero of the situation. 3 Nick Tarnasky with the Hartford Wolf Pack on April 13, 2016. Getty Images 'It's nice to hear from damn near every single teammate I've played with for 13-14 years of my life,' he joked. 'Guys are fired up.'
CNN
an hour ago
- CNN
Medals for Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics unveiled ahead of next year's Games
The medals for the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics were unveiled in Venice on Tuesday, 206 days before the games begin. The medals, created by the Italian State Mint and Polygraphic Institute (IPZS), will use recycled metal recovered from production waste, and will be created in induction furnaces powered by renewable energy, organizers explained. The medals are designed with two halves to represent both Olympic and Paralympic values, organizers revealed. Italian athletes Federica Pellegrini, who is a double Olympic medalist and Italy's most successful swimmer, and Francesca Porcellato, the winner of 15 Paralympic medals after appearances in 13 Summer and Winter Games, accompanied the medals by boat to the ceremony at Venice's Palazzo Balbi on the Canal Grande. 'The medals we have created to celebrate the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games represent the mastery and excellence of Italian design. Each one is a unique piece, the result of craftsmanship and innovation,' Paolo Perrone, President of the IPZS, said in a statement released by organizers. 'The Milano Cortina 2026 medals place the athlete at the center of the story, expressing the universality of sport, the struggle, and the emotion of victory,' he added. The Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics will take place from February 6-22, followed by the Paralympic Winter Games, scheduled from March 6-15. Next year's Games mark the Winter Olympics' return to Europe, with the event having been hosted by Pyeongchang, South Korea in 2018 and the Chinese city of Beijing staging the Games in 2022. Ski mountaineering, where athletes will ascend and descend a mountain in Bormio, in the Valtellina valley, using a mixture of on foot and on ski techniques, will make its debut at the Games. Italy has twice hosted Winter Olympics in the past – Cortina in 1956 and Turin in 2006 – but it will be the first held in Milan.
