MELBOURNE, Australia (AP)—It is a topic that shadowed tennis in 2024 and is still a talking point as the 2025 Grand Slam season opens at the Australian Open on Sunday (Saturday EST): doping and the cases involving Jannik Sinner—which is still not resolved—and Iga Swiatek.
Both spent much of last year at No. 1, and Sinner still will hold that spot in the ATP rankings when he steps on court at Melbourne Park to begin the defense of his championship, one of two major trophies he won last year.
Swiatek, a five-time Slam champ and the woman leading the WTA rankings most of the past three seasons, is No. 2 behind Aryna Sabalenka, who will be chasing her third consecutive title in Australia.
“Obviously, there are going to be some negative comments,” Swiatek said. “You’re not going to avoid that.”
Most players prefer to remain silent when asked about the cases. But there are those who have been happy to weigh in, including 24-time major champion Novak Djokovic, raising questions about whether Sinner and Swiatek were treated the same as other players facing similar circumstances and why their situations were kept under wraps for months.
“I sit and wonder, ‘Why such a big difference in treatment and judgment?’” was two-time major champion Simona Halep’s reaction to Swiatek’s punishment. “I can’t find, and I don’t think there can be, a logical answer.”
