Serena Williams calls out Sinner ban

23 Time Grand Slam winner Serena Williams claims she would have received a 20 year ban if she had failed a drugs test similar to that which ATP World No. 1 Jannik Sinner received just a three  month suspension in February 2025.

“I love the guy, love this game,” Williams, told Time magazine  after being named one of its 100 most influential people.

“He’s great for the sport. I’ve been put down so much, I don’t want to bring anyone down. Men’s tennis needs him.

“(But) if I did that, I would have gotten 20 years. Let’s be honest. I would have gotten grand slams taken away from me.”

43 year old Williams retired in 2022 and joked that she took extra precautions to avoid any accidental ingestion of an illegal substance, and that a PED scandal would have landed her “in jail.”

“I miss it a lot, with all my heart. I miss it because I’m healthy,” Williams said. “If I couldn’t walk, or if I was so out of it, I wouldn’t miss it as much.”

Sinner’s  suspension ends on May 4, having twice tested positive for the banned substance clostebol in March 2024 and is expected to make his return to the tour at the Italian Open, in the  ATP 1000 clay-court tournament in Rome beginning on May 5.

The Italian has always maintained his innocence, claiming the drug entered his system through a massage from his trainer.