Novak Djokovic had ‘slap from reality’ but believes he can win record 25th Grand Slam

Sinner has reached all four major finals in the year and also received a three-month doping ban after twice testing positive for a banned substance in 2024.

Wada accepted that Sinner “did not intend to cheat” and Djokovic said he believed the Italian “did not do it on purpose”.

However, Djokovic warned that the case would remain a “cloud” over the 24-year-old footballer throughout his career.

Djokovic, who was deported from Australia in 2022 because he was not vaccinated against the virus, said, “Just as the Covid cloud will follow me, this cloud will follow him.”

“It will fade over time, but I don’t think it will.”

While some players questioned the timing of Sinner’s ban, Djokovic added: “There is a lack of transparency, inconsistency and ease. [of] So that he wouldn’t miss the ban that came between Islams. It was very, very strange.

“I really don’t like the way the case was handled. You could hear a lot of players in the media who had been through similar situations complaining that this was preferable treatment.”