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The tennis star has warned Jannik Sinner that his three-month ban for doping will persist over his career as a constant shadow – while also questioning the timing of the sanction last year.

Details of the Suspension

The Italian player served a three-month suspension in early 2025 after the global anti-doping body accepted his explanation that a prohibited performance-enhancing substance, the steroid clostebol, had entered his system accidentally.

"This shadow will trail him just as the cloud of Covid will follow me, for the remainder of our respective careers," the champion remarked in a discussion on Piers Morgan: Uncensored.

"It is a situation where, it was so significant, and when that happens, over time it will fade, but I believe it won't fully vanish. There's always going to be a certain group of people that will always try to bring that forward."

The Champion's Viewpoint

Djokovic expressed belief that Sinner, a regular practice partner, "had no intentional involvement", but he then scrutinized how the Italian managed to serve his time without missing a grand slam.

"There is the lack of transparency, the inconsistency, the convenient timing of the suspension coming between the slams, so he avoids skipping important competitions – it's just it was very, very odd," Djokovic added.

Wider Player Reactions

"I really don't like how the case was being handled and it was evident so many other players, both male and female, who had some similar situations voicing their concerns publicly and complaining that it was a preferable treatment."