Jessica Pegula (AFP Photo)

Anti-doping agency’s inconsistencies lead to zero trust among fellow pros following Sinner ‘resolution’
DUBAI: Jessica Pegula threw her arms up in frustration trying to get a handle on the World Anti-Doping Agency‘s (WADA) decision to enter into a ‘case resolution agreement’ with world No.1 Jannik Sinner, who tested positive for Clostebol last March.
Pegula, ranked five, speaking on the sidelines of the Dubai Duty Free tennis, a WTA 1000 event, argued that no matter which side of the divide one fell, whether people thought Sinner was guilty or not, “the process seemed not to be a process”.
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“Whatever factors they take into consideration they make up their own ruling, I don’t really understand how that’s fair for athletes, there’s just so much inconsistency,” Pegula said of the agency, which until last week appeared to be pulling for at least a year-long ban.
WADA, who lodged an appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in September, was initially looking at a period of ineligibility of between one and two years for the Italian. With the date for the appeal of the ‘no fault or negligence’ ruling of the International Tennis Integrity Agency set for mid-April, WADA tossed a curveball on Saturday, handing the 23-year-old a threemonth suspension that ends on May 4.
Sinner, who has maintained he’s innocent, saying the drug had entered his system when his physiotherapist, who had used the cream on himself, had subsequently massaged him. “I have always accepted that I’m responsible for my team, on that basis I have accepted WADA’s offer to resolve these proceedings on the basis of a three-month sanction,” Sinner said in a statement.
On the morning after, the bulk of the tennis community questioned WADA’s decision, with the likes of the former British No.1 Tim Henman calling the length of the ban, which allows Sinner to return to the Tour in time for the Masters 1000 event in Rome, as convenient.
“We get these emails explaining why this happened,” Pegula, who is part of the WTA Players’ Council, said. “It’s like I can give a reason and explain a million different ways to make it sound right. The process is broken, it needs to be seriously considered. They have so much power to ruin someone’s career, something needs to be done about that because it seems unfair.”
Pegula, whose parents Terry and Kim own the Buffalo Bills (NFL), Buffalo Sabres (NHL) and Buffalo Bandits (Lacrosse), is no stranger to the business of sport. The 30-yearold underlined that the number of players who had trust in the process was “zero”.
“It’s a horrible look for the sport when there’s so much inconsistency with player rulings,” she said, “I don’t know what to think. The past couple years there seems to be no rhyme or reason for whatever they decide. So, I’m not really that shocked that there all of a sudden is a settlement.”
Aryna Sabalenka, the world no.1 and top seed in Dubai, said the recent positive tests of Sinner and Iga Swiatek had made her wary. “You start to be more careful,” the 26-year-old Belarusian said, “before I wouldn’t care, I would leave a glass of water in a restaurant and go to the bathroom. Now I’m not going to drink (from) the same glass. These things get to your head, if someone uses a cream on you and you test positive, they’re going to go for you. You become scared of the system.”
“I don’t see how I can trust the system,” added Sabalenka.