Nick Kyrgios hits out at Witek, Sinner as Jordan Thompson calls Max Purcell's anti-doping ban “a joke”

Australian Jordan Thompson called the ban on his US Open-winning doubles partner Max Purcell a “joke”, questioning what he believed was a lack of consistency in penalties for doping violations.

Later, Nick Kyrgios also called out dopers, saying they were “disgusting for our sport.”

Purcell chose to serve a provisional suspension under the International Tennis Integrity Agency's Tennis Anti-Doping Program, saying he unknowingly received an IV infusion of vitamins in excess of the allowed limit of 100 milliliters.

The ban will keep the two-time Grand Slam winner out of next month's Australian Open, where he was due to join forces with Thompson four months after their victory at Flushing Meadows.

“I don't think he's completely happy and neither am I to be honest,” Thompson told Australian media in Brisbane.

“He's put too much in an IV bag to get banned for it, while there are other people who have done much worse and sometimes just get a slap on the wrist. It's a bit of a joke, I think.

“But it is not up to me to decide what happens. If you look at boys who test positive and then you see that Max is simply taking too much in an IV bag, then that is a head-scratching story.”

Purcell is the latest grand slam winner to be investigated by the agency, which was set up to protect the integrity of the sport by the game's governing bodies.

Last month, French Open champion Iga Witek accepted a one-month ban after testing positive for the banned drug trimetazidine following contamination of her sleeping medication.

World number one Jannik Sinner was cleared of wrongdoing after failing two tests of the anabolic drug clostebol in March, but faces a possible two-year ban after a call from WADA, the world anti-doping body.

Both players have been cleared to play at the Australian Open, which starts on January 12.

Kyrgios did not mince his words when referring to doping-related charges against the pair.

“Two world number ones both being fined for doping is disgusting for our sport. It's a horrible sight,” Kyrgios said at his Brisbane International press conference on Saturday.

“The tennis integrity at the moment, and everyone knows it, but no one wants to talk about it, it's terrible.”

Kyrgios, 29, has not played tournament tennis since June 2023 due to wrist and knee injuries.

He was asked about his motivation for speaking out about the Sinner and Witek situations.

“Someone like me would never even try to dope in this sport in my entire life,” he said.

“Especially when I suffer an injury like the one I experienced, there are obviously things that can speed up healing, help me get back to the top level and aid my recovery.

There are so many things that are forbidden in our sport that I could have done to come back faster [but] that's just not who I am. I'm always against that.”

Kyrgios also raised questions about Sinner's claims that his physiotherapist accidentally infected him while treating him with clostebol, which was transferred from a cut on his own hand.

“I [pay] my team hundreds and thousands of dollars to be the professionals that they are, to make sure that doesn't happen,” Kyrgios said.

“So they knew it happened. Why did they wait five to six months to do something about it? He kept his team for five months, that doesn't make sense.”

Purcell's suspension means the 27-year-old, who also won the men's doubles title at Wimbledon in 2022, cannot play or attend any event sanctioned by tennis's governing body, leaving Thompson looking for a new partner.

“It wasn't great news for me and Maxy, especially Max,” Thompson said.

“I think it's a joke, but there's not much I can do about it.”

ABC/wires

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