Nick Kyrgios doubles down on criticism of Jannik Sinner amid doping controversy

Kyrgios has not been afraid to criticise Sinner since it was announced that the world No 1 failed two drug tests as he tested positive for clostebol in March, but he was allowed to continue playing after successfully appealing against his provisional suspension.

The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) later cleared him of any wrongdoing as they accepted his explanation that the substance entered his system via his physiotherapist Giacomo Naldi, who used spray containing clostebol to treat a cut on his finger and later administered a massage.

The tennis world was only informed about Sinner's positive tests when the ITIA cleared him in August, but the matter has not been resolved as the World Anti-Doping Agency has appealed the verdict and wants a sentence of between one and two years.

Kyrgios has been relentless in his attacks on Sinner and the process as he believes the Italian should take responsibility and should have been banned.

He recently wrote about a Sinner post on social media: "Yes. You tested for steroids. Very hard to talk to other people who aren't."

Last week tennis pundit Mark Petchey urged Kyrgios to let the process run its due course, stating: "Yes, Nick Kyrgios needs to give it a rest. Sinner has been found not guilty, right? And we're about to get the WADA appeal. Let's just wait for that.

"You have to let the process go through due care and attention. This is a massive thing. It is somebody's career."

But Kyrgios has no intention of "letting it go" as he has criticised Tennis Australia for awarding Sinner's coach Darren Cahill the 2024 Coaching Excellence award after the Italian won the Australian Open, US Open and finished as the year-end No 1.

"This is a joke right â- have some class and integrity people," the Australian wrote on X.

Yet back in August when the news broke Kyrgios stated during commentary that his attacks on Sinner were "nothing personal".

"It's nothing against Sinner personally at all. He's one of the greatest tennis players we have right now. I'm not denying that. Nothing against him personally," he said.

"I'm definitely not going to be warm and hospitable like I was before. I just want a level playing field for everyone. That's what this fight is for.

"I got tested at my hotels two days ago. We do get tested consistently. This is a sport I've played my whole life. If the playing field isn't the same for everyone, you kind of lose the integrity of the sport a little bit."

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