"How many innocents are locked up in a prison?": Jannik Sinner, the bombshell by Casper Ruud

After a series of statements, in recent months, in some cases relatively ambiguous, here is Casper Ruud taking a clear position on Jannik Sinner . And he defends him, supporting him and explaining that he understands and shares the decision of the world number 1 to find an agreement with Wada, especially in light of what could have happened at the CAS in Lausanne, where the appeal would have been examined.

Norwegian Ruud spoke about this whole affair in Ben Rothenberg 's podcast Bounces . He did not hide his disappointment for what happened, expressing his esteem and respect for Sinner. The three-time Slam finalist expressed a clear opinion on Jannik's behavior: "I feel sorry for Jannik. He, in my opinion, did nothing intentionally," he began.

While several tennis players criticized the agreement with WADA, demonstrating that it did not delve enough into the context and the rules of the World Anti-Doping Agency, Ruud wanted to recall how similar situations have already happened in the past : "It's not the first time that a settlement has happened for a doping conviction, which probably surprised some people. When you look at the legal system, it's not uncommon for it to happen when someone is about to go to trial. I mean, there are many other cases where settlements have happened just before a trial," he stressed.

And again: "If I were in Jannik's shoes, of course I would like to have the opportunity to defend myself in a public trial, which I am sure he was looking for. But when you go to trial, there is always the risk that you could be found guilty , if the juries or judges see things differently. Look at how many cases in the world have someone gone to prison when you were not guilty . So, there is always the risk that you could be found guilty even if you are not guilty", concluded Casper Ruud. A heavy, impactful comparison, that with the innocent in prison. But the comparison, to a certain extent, gives the measure of the situation.