Serena Williams may have hung up the racket two years ago, but she’s still a fan of the sport. Her favorite player? Jannik Sinner, of course! She met Sinner at the Miami Open in March 2024. After his semi-final win against Daniil Medvedev, Serena met Sinner backstage and told him, “I wish I hit my forehand like that. Seriously, the racquet speed, the power, I was like, ‘Wow, night and day’. You’re unbelievable.” While he remained modest about his skills, the Italian dominated the court for a year -clinching two grand slams and 6 titles. However, his doping scandal that began in March 2024 overshadowed these achievements. Now, as he completes his three-month ban, Williams feels for the young champion and her former rival, Maria Sharapova.
In a Time Magazine interview about her journey, Williams praised Sinner’s “fantastic personality” and said, “I love the guy, I love this game. He’s great for the sport.” She expressed surprise at his three-month suspension, stating, “If I did that, I would have gotten 20 years. Let’s be honest. I would have gotten Grand Slams taken away from me.” Despite this, she wishes him well. “I don’t want to bring anyone down,” she adds. She’s excited for his return at the Italian Open, saying, “Men’s tennis needs him.”
For the unversed, Jannik tested positive for the banned substance Clostebol in March 2024. He appealed that it entered his system via his former physio. The physio had used a spray containing the substance to treat a hand wound before performing a gloveless massage on Sinner. The Italian was cleared on the grounds of “no fault or negligence” by the ITIA in August. WADA later resurfaced the case to be appealed before CAS. The verdict came out earlier this year in February. Sinner accepted WADA’s offer of a ban between February 9 and May 4, 2025.
This #Serena interview for Time is something. Well worth @seanmgregory getting up for the 620 a.m start. Wide ranging – Super Bowl to life on the farm — but the comments on Sinner & Sharapova certainly notablehttps://t.co/xL2pX03nq3 pic.twitter.com/COwcbB90lJ
— Christopher Clarey (@christophclarey) April 16, 2025
Serena recalled her own caution regarding substances. She wouldn’t ingest anything stronger than an Advil. But why? Her rival, Maria Sharapova, faced a similar predicament. In 2016, the Russian received a two-year doping ban. It was later reduced to 15 months upon appeal. She had tested positive for meldonium at the Australian Open. Meldonium, a heart medication, joined WADA’s banned list at the start of 2016. Evidence showed its potential performance-enhancing benefits. This prompted Serena to say, “Just weirdly and oddly, I can’t help but think about Maria all this time. I can’t help but feel for her.”
Like Serena, today’s players remain cautious about medication and treatments. Take Emma Raducanu for instance. Following Jannik Sinner‘s doping controversy, she refused treatment for insect bites. These bites left her hands swollen during the 2025 Australian Open. She cited paranoia about testing positive for a banned substance as her reason.
However, Serena Williams faced a different situation. The 23-time grand slam champion battled accusations of using performance-enhancing drugs. She never tested positive for such substances. Critics pointed to her muscular physique and aggressive on-court behavior as potential indicators of steroid use. Her childhood coach recalls what he saw as her biggest superpower.
Ex-coach noted what was truly the reason Serena excelled on the court
Rick Macci, who trained Serena and Venus Williams starting in 1991, recently addressed the steroid rumors swirling around Serena. On March 25, 2025, he posted on X, “As kid Serena already had rock solid genetic muscles on muscles. A unique rare combo of power strength and loose wires from shoulders to toes.” He added, “Nobody said anything. As a pro when she started winning and flexing her greatness instead of Venus being her best friend it was MR.STEROID.” Macci’s words highlight how Serena’s natural strength was evident from childhood, long before any suspicion arose.
Serena herself acknowledged the constant testing, saying she “wants everybody to be tested fairly—to be tested at the same frequency.” Her team described the testing as invasive and targeted, though Serena chose to address it more subtly in public. During her 2018 comeback after giving birth to her daughter Olympia, Serena faced intense scrutiny.
By July that year, she had already been tested five times, more than any other top American woman player. Frustrated, she tweeted, “Out of all the players, it’s been proven I’m the one getting tested the most. Discrimination? I think so. At least I’ll be keeping the sport clean.”
Macci has consistently championed Serena’s natural athletic gifts, once writing: “As a kid Serena had muscles on muscles. Everybody thought steroids, and she lifted weights. Richard the Compton Comedian told everybody, ‘She only lifts trophies!’” And lift trophies she did – amassing an extraordinary 23 Grand Slam singles titles and 73 singles titles overall during her 27-year career.
Since retiring in 2022, she has continued to excel off the court with successful ventures, including Serena Ventures and Wyn Beauty, further cementing her legacy as not just a tennis legend but a multifaceted icon whose achievements speak louder than any unfounded accusations.
The post “Can’t Help but Feel for Her,” After Decades of Rivalry, Serena Williams Stands Up for Maria Sharapova as Jannik Sinner’s Doping Scandal Stirs Old Soup appeared first on EssentiallySports.
