Roger Federer reacts to Jannik Sinner playing US Open after testing positive for banned substance

Retired tennis legend Roger Federer has spoken out on the controversy surrounding Jannik Sinner as the world’s top-ranked tennis player vies for a US Open title after twice testing positive for a banned substance earlier this year.

“It’s not something we want to see in our sport, that kind of news, regardless of whether he did something or not, or whether a player did it,” Federer told Savannah Guthrie on TODAY on Sept. 3. “It’s just noise that we don’t want.”

Sinner was not suspended after testing positive twice for the anabolic steroid Clostebol in March. An investigation by the International Tennis Integrity Agency found the 23-year-old Italian star had ingested the substance by accident.

“I understand it’s a delicate situation,” said Federer, who won 20 Grand Slam titles during his career. “It’s every athlete’s and every team’s nightmare to have these allegations and these problems because we fill out these forms all day, every day.”

“And it lives with you. Every morning when you wake up, you wonder, ‘Is someone coming to the door to test me?’ It’s really hard.”

The decision not to suspend Sinner drew criticism from tennis fans, who said he had received preferential treatment given that other players have been suspended in the past until they are proven innocent of using banned substances.

Sinner won the Miami Open in March and then the Cincinnati Open in August after testing positive.

“I understand the frustration of wondering if he was treated the same as the others,” Federer said. “And I think that’s where it all comes down to.”

The ITIA ruled Aug. 20 that Sinner had “no fault or negligence” for testing positive, according to a news release. After each positive test, Sinner successfully appealed a provisional suspension, which allowed him to continue playing, ITIA officials said.

Sinner told ITIA that the clostebol in his system came from contamination by a member of his support team who provided massage and sports therapy.

The tennis player said the support team member had a small injury and was using an over-the-counter spray containing clostebol to treat it. The team member then unknowingly contaminated Sinner’s skin through massage and therapy.

Scientific experts concluded that Sinner’s explanation was “credible,” according to ITIA.

“I think we’re all pretty confident that Jannik didn’t do anything, but there’s some inconsistency in the fact that he shouldn’t have stayed on the bench when they weren’t 100 percent sure what was going on, I think that’s the question that needs to be answered,” Federer said. “But listen, that’s the way it is, and we also have to trust the process of everybody involved here.”

Sinner is the No. 1 seed and has reached the quarterfinals of the US Open, where he will face fifth-seeded Daniil Medvedev on September 4. Sinner beat Medvedev in January to win the Australian Open and secure his first Grand Slam title.