Casper Ruud defended Jannik Sinner’s innocence in a recent interview at the Monte-Carlo Masters. The first Masters 1000 of the clay-court season features the Norwegian, a finalist in 2024, as one of the main contenders.
Ruud benefitted from the absence of World No. 1 Jannik Sinner and World No. 4 Taylor Fritz, entering the tournament as the fourth seed. He is set to make his debut on Wednesday against Spanish clay-court specialist Roberto Bautista Agut, former World No. 9.
During media day ahead of the tournament, the World No. 7 was asked about Sinner’s suspension, to which he responded: “I always considered him innocent,” he stated. “It's extremely unfortunate in terms of how the substance got into his system.”
The Italian three-time Grand Slam champion was found not guilty of fault or negligence after testing positive for Clostebol. The ITIA’s investigation revealed that the substance entered Sinner’s body after his physiotherapist treated him with bare hands shortly after applying a spray containing Clostebol to wounds on his own fingers.
After avoiding a suspension back in August 2024, the World Anti-Doping Agency filed an appeal, requesting a ban of one to two years. Sinner ultimately reached an agreement with WADA, accepting a three-month suspension to avoid a potentially longer one.
“It's difficult to be suspended for three months when you're innocent. I've never seen Jannik as someone who would intentionally cheat. We're extremely vulnerable because we're exposed to many different people and places, a myriad of different foods and countries…”
Sinner has already missed two Masters 1000 events in Indian Wells and the Miami Open, and he will also be absent from the Monte-Carlo Masters this week. Although he faces a three-month suspension, he is expected to return to the court still as World No. 1—just in time to compete at the Italian Open.
“There are still two Masters 1000s without him. Let's see who wins them. And then, when he comes back, there will be opportunities for everyone anyway. I'm looking forward to seeing him on the court soon,” he added. “I hope he'll be warmly welcomed (in Rome). I'm sure the Italian fans will be very affectionate towards him. I'm waiting for him on the court in Rome.”
