Serena Williams believes she would have received a 20-year ban and been stripped of her titles if she had a similar doping violation as Jannik Sinner.
Jannik Sinner, currently ranked number one in the world, is nearing the end of a three-month suspension. This ban was imposed after he tested positive for clostebol, an anabolic steroid prohibited in sports, on two occasions.
Sinner, aged 23, reached an agreement with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). He claimed the positive test resulted from unintentional contamination during a massage by a team member.
WADA accepted Sinner’s explanation that he “did not intend to cheat” and attributed the situation to “negligence of his entourage.”
However, Williams, who retired in 2022 after winning 23 Grand Slam titles, thinks Sinner`s punishment was too lenient.
She suggests that the Italian player is crucial to the popularity and success of men`s tennis today.
Williams stated to Time Magazine, “He has a fantastic personality. I like him a lot, and I love tennis. He is beneficial for the sport.”
She continued, “I have faced considerable criticism in my career, and I don`t want to criticize anyone else. Men`s tennis needs him.”
“If I were in the same situation (tested positive for doping), I believe I would have received a 20-year ban, to be honest. And I probably would have had Grand Slam titles revoked.”
Since retiring from professional tennis, Serena Williams has developed a successful business portfolio valued at £260 million.
Prior to her business ventures, she had already earned £72 million in tennis prize money.
Currently, her income streams are diversified across various sectors, from sports team ownership to cosmetics, largely through her venture capital firm.
Serena Ventures has invested in over 85 companies, including one valued at £2 billion.
Williams also holds a minority stake in the Miami Dolphins, an NFL team valued at £4.7 billion.
