Doha, Qatar: Novak Djokovic has urged tennis authorities to overhaul the sport’s anti-doping system, citing inconsistencies and a lack of fairness in the current framework. Speaking after his doubles match at the Qatar ExxonMobil Open in Doha, the 37-year-old Serbian called for greater transparency and uniformity in handling doping cases.
“I think it’s the right time to address the system because it clearly doesn’t work,” Djokovic stated. “I hope the governing bodies of our sport will come together to create a more effective and fair approach.”
Djokovic, partnering with Spain’s Fernando Verdasco—who is retiring after this tournament—cruised past Alexander Bublik and Karen Khachanov 6-1, 6-1 in just 48 minutes to reach the second round.
His comments come amid growing concerns over anti-doping policies, particularly following World No.1 Jannik Sinner’s recent three-month ban for testing positive for traces of clostebol. Sinner admitted “partial responsibility” but pointed to errors by his team. Djokovic highlighted frustration among players over the perceived lack of consistency in the handling of doping violations.
“It’s frustrating for all players,” he said. “Some cases are transparent, some are not. Rules state that information on contamination must be provided within a ‘reasonable time,’ but what does that really mean? There’s a general lack of trust towards WADA and the ITIA.”
Djokovic also referenced the cases of Iga Swiatek and Jannik Sinner, suggesting they were treated differently due to their status as top-ranked players.
“Many players I’ve spoken to feel there’s favoritism in how cases are handled,” he added. “It’s not good for our sport’s image, and we need a better system.”
His call for reform has amplified ongoing discussions about the fairness and credibility of anti-doping regulations in professional tennis.
