American tennis icon Serena Williams suggested that she would have faced a 20-year ban and the revocation of her Grand Slam titles if she had encountered similar drug test failures as Jannik Sinner, the men’s world number one, experienced last year.

Sinner accepted a three-month suspension in February after reaching an agreement with the World Anti-Doping Agency. This followed WADA’s challenge to an independent tribunal’s initial decision to acquit him of any wrongdoing, despite two positive tests for the anabolic agent clostebol.

Williams, who retired in 2022 with 23 Grand Slam titles, expressed her views to Time Magazine, saying, “I admire him and the sport. He is beneficial to men’s tennis.”

She added, “I have faced significant criticism, and I do not wish to bring anyone else down. Men’s tennis requires his presence.”

Williams stated, “If I were in the same situation, I would have been banned for 20 years, without a doubt. My Grand Slam titles would have been taken away.”

Sinner’s team and WADA have been contacted for their comments.

Sinner, the reigning champion of the Australian Open and US Open, will have his ban lifted on May 4. He has consistently asserted his innocence, although his case has sparked questions about whether he was given preferential treatment by the relevant authorities.

Iga Swiatek’s situation also raised eyebrows when she accepted a one-month suspension in November after testing positive for trimetazidine, a banned substance.

Simona Halep, a former world number one, also received a ban, despite her denial of knowingly taking the prohibited drug roxadustat. Her initial four-year suspension was reduced to nine months in 2024 following an appeal to the highest court in sports.

Williams further noted that she was extremely cautious about what she consumed throughout her career, to avoid inadvertently ingesting anything that could cause problems.