Rennae Stubbs noticed Jannik Sinner catching heat for attending a Gucci event while serving a doping suspension and the former six-time Grand Slam doubles champion came to the 23-year-old defense with a strong argument.
This week, the Italian tennis star – who is a global Gucci ambassador – attended Gucci’s Fashion Week Show in Milan.
And after Tennis magazine posted about it on X, one person wasn’t so happy about it, calling them out for promoting a banned player.
“It’s fair to ask… Were Halep, Sharapova, or anyone else who ever served out a doping-related ban ever promoted by some of the biggest tennis accounts during said ban?” the person in question asked.
Stubbs noticed the post and had an explanation ready, highlighting that the investigation determined that he didn’t intentionally or knowingly take a banned substance and that it came through negligence by some of his team members.
“Because ‘he’ was cleared of any wrongdoing doing. ‘He’ is serving a ban based on his team’s incompetence in the eyes of WADA. The afore mentioned players had different suspensions,” the former doubles world No. 1 said.
Because “he” was cleared of any wrongdoing doing. “He” is serving a ban based on his team’s incompetence in the eyes of WADA. The afore mentioned players had different suspensions.
— Rennae Stubbs ♈️ (@rennaestubbs) February 27, 2025
Stubbs on Sinner getting banned: The WADA needed something in this case
When the three-month doping ban settlement news was announced, the WADA said that they accepted that the Italian didn’t knowingly or intentionally take a banned substance.
Knowing that, Stubbs thinks that it is pretty evident that the WADA wanted to at least give the top-ranked ATP player a symbolic ban so other players don’t use that as an excuse in the future.
“ITIA and WADA both cleared him and said he was not at fault. WADA knew they needed a win of some sort to make sure players don’t use that excuse going forward. ‘My team’ contaminated me. There was ambiguity in this judgement with his team being the cause but they needed something,” the Australian tennis legend explained.
ITIA and WADA both cleared him and said he was not at fault. WADA knew they needed a win of some sort to make sure players don’t use that excuse going forward. “My team” contaminated me. There was ambiguity in this judgement with his team being the cause but they needed something
— Rennae Stubbs ♈️ (@rennaestubbs) February 28, 2025
Tennis World USA