Serena Williams has claimed she would have been banned for 20 years if she had failed a drug test like Jannik Sinner. The men’s world No 1 is serving a three-month suspension from tennis after twice testing positive for performance-enhancing drug clostebol in March last year.

Jannik Sinner's suspension will end in four weeks, with world no. 1 preparing to return at the Rome Masters. The 23-year-old Italian is serving a three-month suspension after testing positive for the performance-enhancing drug clostebol in March 2024.

Williams admitted that Sinner’s situation made her reflect on the experience of Maria Sharapova, a long-time rival on the court. Sharapova had a two-year ban reduced to 15 months on appeal in 2016 after testing positive for meldonium, with Cas finding that she bore "no significant fault" for ingesting the substance.