Tennis legend Serena Williams has expressed frustration over what she perceives as unequal treatment in doping sanctions within professional tennis, suggesting she would have faced a much stricter penalty than men’s world No. 1 Jannik Sinner for a similar violation.
In an interview with Time magazine following her inclusion in the 2025 Time100 list of the world’s most influential people, the 23-time Grand Slam champion did not mince words.
“I love the guy, love this game,” Williams said of Sinner. “He’s great for the sport. I’ve been put down so much, I don’t want to bring anyone down. Men’s tennis needs him.”
However, she added, “[But] if I did that, I would have gotten 20 years. Let’s be honest. I would have gotten Grand Slams taken away from me.”
Sinner, the reigning Australian Open and US Open champion, received a three-month suspension in February 2025 after the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) contested an initial ruling that had cleared him. The Italian tested positive twice for clostebol, an anabolic agent, but argued that the trace amounts resulted from a trainer using a cream containing the substance after cutting his finger.
The relatively lenient punishment has reignited discussions about potential disparities in how doping cases are adjudicated, particularly between male and female athletes.
Williams, 43, reflected on the intense scrutiny she endured throughout her career, noting she was extremely cautious about any substances she consumed.
“I was paranoid,” she said with a laugh. “You would have heard about [a doping case against me] in another multiverse. I’d have ended up in jail.”
Sinner’s case follows recent controversies involving other top players, including women’s world No. 2 Iga Swiatek, who served a one-month ban for trimetazidine, and Simona Halep, whose four-year suspension for roxadustat was reduced to nine months on appeal.
Though Williams last competed at the 2022 US Open, she admitted she still feels a deep connection to the sport.
“I miss it a lot, with all my heart,” she said. “I miss it because I’m healthy. If I couldn’t walk, or if I was so out of it, I wouldn’t miss it as much.”
Sinner is set to return to competition on May 4, but the debate over fairness in doping penalties shows no signs of fading.
