Jannik Sinner beat Alexander Zverev in the final, 6-3, 7-6, 6-3, as he clinched his third Grand Slam, dropping just two sets all tournament.

The 23-year-old had been set to return to action at this week’s Qatar Open in Doha before news broke ahead of the tournament that sent the tennis world into a frenzy.

Sinner accepted a three-month ban for doping violations he committed in 2024, testing positive for the banned substance Clostebol.

World number one Sinner will miss four Masters 1000 events while serving his suspension but should return for his home Italian Open, and the French Open in May.

Many have questioned the timing and length of his ban, and three former American ATP Tour stars have now commented on the controversy.

Jack Sock thinks Jannik Sinner’s three-month ban is ‘ridiculous’ and says it ‘doesn’t make sense’

Speaking on the Nothing Major podcast, former world number eight Jack Sock, shared his thoughts on Sinner’s ban.

“I think it’s bull——,” he said.

“The whole thing is ridiculous to me.

“I don’t think you can have a Mikael Ymer-type player who gets suspended for a year or two and has to retire from the sport because he missed three tests and then you have a player, just because he’s a top player, fail a drug test and only get three months.

“It doesn’t make sense to me.

“Because you didn’t show up to the right location three times and you are out for two years, compared to three months for failing a thing.

“The whole blaming it on the team, you are the main piece of the team, you need to be in the know of what is going on.”

Sock’s co-host Sam Querrey suggested that the timing of Sinner’s ban certainly seemed ‘convenient.’

“I don’t think most players are mad or disappointed with [Jannik] Sinner,” he said.

“I think they are disappointed with WADA [World Anti-Doping Agency] or the drug testing as a whole. 

“The inconsistency of it or the timing, it needs some type of overhaul or some type of way to make the rules more black and white. 

“It’s easier said than done, but it seemed a little too convenient, he gets to come back and play Rome, he is still going to be ranked number one in the world.”

Sinner’s ban ends just days before his home Italian Open kicks off in May, an event that hasn’t been kind to the world number one during his career so far.

Querrey then explained how Sinner would feel about the timing of his three-month ban.

“If you are Sinner it’s great, you get to move on and don’t have to deal with this saga anymore.

“I assume he is loving the end result of this but WADA is the one who comes out looking like a loser in this whole thing.”

Fellow American Steve Johnson then suggested what the relevant authorities need to do, to avoid similar controversies from happening again.

“I think we need a complete overhaul of the drug testing system, the rules,” he said.

“It is not fair from top to bottom.

“From the suspension side of things, to the testing side of things.

“Whether he did or didn’t do it is way out of my pay grade, but I don’t like that the suspension comes now for three months.

“He just misses a couple of Masters series, he gets to play Rome, he gets to play the French Open, he gets to play Wimbledon and that part I don’t like.”

Who is Mikael Ymer and why was he banned from tennis?

As Sock mentioned, plenty of ATP stars have been banned for far longer than Sinner, for arguably less severe violations.

One such player was Swedish 26-year-old Mikael Ymer, who received an 18-month competition ban in 2023 for missing three tests in a 12-month period.

Once ranked 50th in the world, Ymer retired from tennis following the news before reversing his decision one year later.

Ymer returned in January 2025, winning an ITF tournament in Luxembourg, and is now ranked 794th, as he continues his comeback.

Some tennis fans may recognize Ymer as the man who beat Carlos Alcaraz in his first Grand Slam tournament, in Melbourne four years ago.

Having beaten Botic van de Zandschulp in the first round, the Spaniard took on Ymer for a place in the third round.

Ymer proved too much for the young star, taking him down in four sets to advance to the last 32 of a Major tournament for the first time in his career.

The Swede will look to rediscover that form as he continues to build fitness following his 18-month ban from tennis.