Azarenka, grappling with the 'Sinner Case': "I don't believe all players receive the same treatment"

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Victoria Azarenka left nothing unsaid upon her arrival at WTA Rome 2025. The Belarusian is a member of the player committee of the International Tennis Integrity Association (ITIA), the same one that absolved Jannik Sinner from his double positive for doping, although later the WADA appealed, and he was sanctioned for three months. That's why the former world number one took advantage of the return of the Italian to talk about the uproar caused and the current rules governing doping in tennis. All of this in statements collected by Tennis.com.

First and foremost, the 35-year-old tennis player wanted to make it clear that she has nothing against the world number one: "Personally, I really like Jannik. I think he's a great guy. He has always been very kind to me. He seems like a pretty humble person. I don't know him very well, but I find it hard to be too critical personally."

Seeking Explanations

However, her tone changes when talking about the double positive for clostebol: "In professional terms, I think there are discrepancies because I do not believe that all players receive the same treatment. It is not just his case. I think there are many different questions about how things were handled."

And the Minsk native elaborated: "If you talk about Jannik Sinner's case, people will ask why no one knew about it. Well, there is a legal aspect; I understand that. But, well, it's a bit risky. We are often asked: ‘What do you think of the system?’. What I really think doesn't matter. It's more about how the rules are applied: Are they applied in the same way? Is there any modification that needs to be done? I think that is the conversation we should be having, more about what can be improved."

Azarenka's statements reflect the players' discontent with the current structures: "I think, overall, the organization should have greater integrity, personally. A big issue is that we are under the supervision of WADA, which only has specific deadlines to modify its rules. I don't think I have all the answers, but there are valid questions that could be asked and see if they make sense."

Against the Two-Week Masters 1000

In addition to the doping issue, she also criticized the current calendar organization, with the two-week Masters 1000, the ball change, and the different surfaces: "I am less concerned for myself and more for the younger players, as it will be much harder for them to have a career as long as mine, playing over 20 years on the circuit. That's why I also believe there should be a debate on how balls have changed and evolved over the years, as well as the surfaces."

Ultimately, the player concluded with a plea for the prosperity of tennis: "Honestly, I just want to see our sport grow. I really want it to do well. This sport has given me so much in life, and I want to see it grow, thrive, continue to be a dominant sport for women. There are many emerging sports that offer us competition. We too need to keep progressing."

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Azarenka, a vueltas con el ‘Caso Sinner’: "No creo que todos los jugadores reciban el mismo trato"