‘He’s guilty’ – Simon Jordan name-drops Canelo Alvarez in Jannik Sinner drug ban case

Jannik Sinner is guilty and must take responsibility for his failed drugs tests following the announcement of his three-month ban.

That’s the view of talkSPORT’s Simon Jordan, who also used Canelo Alvarez as an example of how the public can perceive an athlete after a doping ban.

4

World no.1 Sinner has been suspended from tennis until May 4 having failed two drugs tests in 2024.

He tested positive for the banned anabolic steroid clostebol in his urine due to contamination through a physiotherapist massage.

Sinner initially escaped a ban but has now reached a settlement with WADA [World Anti-Doping Agency].

The three-time Grand Slam winner can return for the French Open in May but tennis reporter Marcus Buckland believes his reputation may have taken a hit.

“Probably a little bit unfortunate and unlucky for him, but I think a lot of people will for evermore have just a little bit of a question mark against his name,” Buckland said on White and Jordan.

However, Jordan referred to former undisputed super middleweight champion Alvarez and how fan perception hasn’t changed since his ban in 2018.

The boxing legend was banned for six months after testing positive for clenbuterol, which builds muscle mass and burns fat, on two occasions.

Alvarez had to withdraw from a world middleweight title rematch against Gennady Golovkin but beat him on his return in September that year.

Yet he still remains one of the sport’s icons, as Jordan said: “How do we look at Canelo Alvarez? Nobody looks at him any differently, do they?

“Arguably the greatest super middleweight the world has ever seen, won everything, gets paid more money than anyone’s ever been paid in boxing. But got banned for drugs…”

4

4

“By its very nature though, there’s a heck of a lot more of a sinister feel to boxing than there is of tennis,” said Jim White.

But Jordan replied: “There’s still people’s questioning and prestige… What, because tennis is cream and strawberries at Wimbledon?

Martin Keown then asked: “Simon, if you were in that situation, would you want to eradicate that hanging over you, that you…

“But he’s guilty, he’s guilty,” Jordan said, before Keown replied: “Yeah but guilty because… Yeah but, really? Because a physio applied it onto his skin.”

“That doesn’t matter,” Jordan insisted. “He’s arguing about degrees of guilt. ‘I didn’t do it on purpose, but I did it’, so he’s absolutely guilty, so what are you arguing about?

“What you’re doing, is doing a trade-off and going, ‘Well, I’m guilty by association because it was rubbed into my body.

4

“‘I know the rules say that I’ve got to account for it. I’ve accounted for it but still, I’ve got to take a consequence for it.’

“It’s grown-up thinking. He’s guilty, not by his own hand, by the hands of literally the masseuse, but he employed the masseuse. So, the same way that a chairman takes responsibility for a manager…”

“It wasn’t handed out to him, he reached a settlement,” White made clear, but Jordan said: “No, the independent commission gave him a pass.

“WADA brought it back round again and what we’re arguing is… What they prefer, is a five-month ban starting in April so he can’t play in the French, he can’t play in Wimbledon and can’t play in the US.

“And then people would say, ‘That’s fair.’ And then someone else would say, ‘But he played in the Australian.’ Or, ‘He played in this.'”

White then suggested that the ban should have started in May as it meant he would miss the French Open and Wimbledon at least.

“Hang on, he’s gone back and they’ve given him a ban,” Jordan responded. “So you want to suspend the ban for three months, and then put the ban three months after the ban was forced to hold down?”

He added: “So, do you think winning major tournaments means being out of them for three months is the best preparation for him?”

White then asked if Sinner has been hit hard enough with his ban and Jordan explained: “I think it’s a trade-off. I think he was found excusable by the independent panel. I think WADA have come back in and gone, ‘Hang on a second, it makes us look fools.'”

“Simon, he has the wealth doesn’t he?” Keown stressed. “He surrounds himself with the best physios, they shouldn’t be making this mistake, no?”

“Who are we aiming our guns at here? Sinner or WADA?” Jordan asked. “Because WADA are the ones that want the penalty.

“So if they’re the ones that want to do a deal, why don’t you take it up with them? Say to them, ‘Why are you doing a deal with the player? You want to enforce a message? Enforce it!'”