Djokovic Calls For Fairer Treatment

He slams lack of consistency, transparency in doping verdicts and agrees with Kyrgios

BRISBANE - Novak Djokovic on Dec 29 called for more transparency around doping suspensions in tennis, saying high-ranked players appeared to be treated differently to others.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion agreed with Australian Nick Kyrgios, who on Dec 28 said integrity in the sport was "awful".

They were speaking in the wake of doping violations by top-ranked Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek in 2024.

Djokovic, who will play doubles with Kyrgios at the Dec 29-Jan 5 Brisbane International, said there needed to be far greater transparency from the sport's governing bodies around doping violations.

And he said that it appeared that top players such as Italy's Sinner and Pole Swiatek, the women's world No. 2, were being treated differently from those further down the rankings.

"I think Nick has some fair points when it comes to transparency and inconsistency with protocols and case-to-case comparables," Djokovic said. "We have some players who have been waiting for over a year for their case to be resolved, so the issue is the inconsistency and the transparency."