Sinner Does Not Deserve Any Hate - Draper

Britain's Jack Draper says Jannik Sinner does not "deserve immoderate hate" arsenic nan world number 1 prepares for his comeback from a three-month doping ban.

Draper is simply a long-time friend of Sinner and spent respective days practising pinch nan Italian successful Monte Carlo past week.

Sinner, 23, was banned from nan sport successful February aft reaching a colony pinch nan World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) complete 2 affirmative narcotics tests past year.

The three-time awesome champion is capable to return to competitory action from 6 May and plans to make his comeback astatine nan Italian Open successful Rome.

"When group inquire astir Jannik I show nan truth – I deliberation he is simply a really genuine, bully personification and connected apical of that he is an unbelievable player," Draper, 23, told BBC Sport and nan Guardian successful a associated question and reply astatine nan Madrid Open.

"In this business I americium judge he would person had perfectly zero thought of anything.

"That's nan measurement life goes - sometimes location are mistakes."

Sinner had antecedently been cleared of immoderate wrongdoing by an independent sheet aft testing affirmative for nan banned constituent clostebol successful March 2024.

It accepted he had been inadvertently contaminated by his physiotherapist, who was treating a trim connected his manus pinch an over-the-counter spray that contained clostebol.

Sinner agreed a three-month prohibition pinch Wada to settee nan lawsuit and not spell to nan Court of Arbitration for Sport.

But nan timing of nan suspension - which meant Sinner did not miss a azygous Grand Slam tourney and will return successful clip for May's French Open - was criticised by immoderate arsenic being conveniently timed.

The statement betwixt nan Italian's ineligible squad and Wada prompted accusations of favouritism and led to immoderate players questioning their religion successful cleanable sport.

But Draper said: "In position of really I consciousness astir him arsenic a personification I deliberation it is important for group to cognize and recognise nan feline is kind-hearted and a bully quality being.

"He doesn't merit immoderate of nan dislike he gets."

After losing early astatine nan Monte Carlo Masters, world number six Draper went looking for believe partners connected nan clay and Sinner - who he has played doubles pinch successful nan past - was an evident choice.

"I knew Jannik was disposable and successful Monte Carlo connected nan clay truthful we organised pinch his squad to spell retired location for 3 aliases 4 days and train pinch him," Draper said.

"If you're going to train pinch anyone it has sewage to beryllium nan champion successful nan world, right?

"He's evidently had a spot of clip disconnected but he's playing astatine an unthinkable level still.

"It was awesome to beryllium astir him for a fewer days and get immoderate bully sparring."

The British men's number 1 added: "I'm looking guardant to having him backmost connected nan circuit because I deliberation his beingness has been missed."