Huge dope cloud hangs over Australian Open

The dope cloud hanging over the Australian Open, starting in Melbourne on Sunday, does not bode well for the sport. Two days before the season's first Grand Slam begins, comes the news World No.1 Jannik Sinner will face the CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sports) in April.

He was dragged to the CAS by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the long wait has been one of suspense. Yet, as defending champion, Sinner know he cannot but face the music from players like Nick Kyrgios and a few more.

It is not just about the top gun's own credibility, tennis itself faces challenging times.

When the Sinner dope scandal hit the roof, the tennis agencies tried to douse the flames. The ITIA, an independent testing body, tried to offer explanations. But it was not convincing. Towards the end of 2024, Sinner won even more, the US Open, season-ending ATP finale and also the Davis Cup for Italy. Can he now handle the heat, atmospheric in Melbourne plus the CAS hearing? Even if he handles his emotions and becomes a stone, Sinner will be under intense scrutiny every moment. Nobody will back him and he will find the locker room even more hostile at the Australian Open.

What happens in April at the CAS hearing is hard to predict but the WADA is dead sure they will press for a two-year ban on Sinner. When it becomes applicable and how many results get washed out, nobody knows. Sinner is in trouble and the sport is also in trouble as Iga Swiatek also faced a dope suspension in 2024. It was so murky, hush-hush. End result, tennis is in turmoil. And with the AO starting, more muck will be raked up. Players, fans, everyone wants clean tennis.

One man who returns as a hopeful to win the Australian Open again is Novak Djokovic. Armed with a new coach in Andy Murray, he will attempt to turn the clock back. He is old, they say. Damn, he has a body which is sculpted, he has worshipped it like a temple. He wears two lockets, one of his religion, Christianity. The second locket has photos of his family, wife, kids and even pets included. This is his way of being close to them. At the same time, Novak is also known to practise yoga. Two years ago, there was a picture of Novak's home which depicted Lord Krishna. So, Novak is a beast as well as a spiritual man. He believes in divine forces and spring water which can heal him. So, don't laugh if he wants to challenge the Young Turks like Carlos Alcaraz, Sinner and many more. To trip Novak, it will not be easy.

It was shocking to hear Novak Djokovic having been 'food poisoned" when he was in detention in Melbourne in 2021 over 'no vaccine entry.' At that time, Novak had been deported after a huge legal wrangling. But before that, he was fed food which had heavy metals which left him sick. Why Novak has spoken of all this now is not to create a sensation. It is to make fans understand what all hardships he deals with in life. Add to it hatred from the crowds in racist Melbourne, Novak knows how to still compete.

If Novak is an emotional faovurite, Aryna Sabalenka, gunning for her third Australian Open crown in a row is focused and fit. She is all smiles, radiant and ready to go. How she will fare against 'under pressure' Iga Swiatek, Elena Rybakina, Coco Gauff and many more will be interesting. Belarussian Sabalenka is at her peak now. She won the US Open and has come to Australia with the love of her life - Georgios Frangulis. The two are in Melbourne, totally besotted. She needs love in her life after having lost her ex-boyfriend and father in 2024. Can Aryna Sabalenka romance the Australian Open and create history (three-in-a-row) like Martina Hingis many years ago? The next fortnight will provide answers.