Nick Kyrgios' blunt seven-word response to Jack Draper as Brit star defends Jannik Sinner over doping scandal

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Australian firebrand Nick Kyrgios has shut down Jack Draper after the British tennis star defended Jannik Sinner over his bombshell three-month doping ban.

Sinner, who claimed victory at the Australian Open last month, will serve the suspension from 9 February until 4 May after reaching a settlement with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) over his two positive doping tests last year.

The Italian is currently the best player in the world and Draper believes it's not good for tennis to have the No. 1 player banned.

'I know Jannik, he's a good friend and I know that with this whole thing, I am sure he wouldn't have done anything intentionally. But obviously, that's the sport and we have to be accountable for what's going in our bodies,' Draper told Sky Sports.

'He is obviously banned now for a few months. I don't think that's good for tennis. I don't think it's good for sport that the No. 1 player in the world and someone who is doing incredible things is having a ban but you know he will be back shortly and I wish him all the best. I hope he is going to be okay.'

Kyrgios, who has been Sinner's harshest and loudest critic, read Draper's comments and responded bluntly on X: 'Then don't have steroids in your system?'

Nick Kyrgios has delivered a blunt reply to Jack Draper after the British tennis star defended Italian Jannik Sinner

Draper (pictured) is good friends with Sinner and said that it was a bad look for tennis having the No.1 banned from the game

The World No 1 will be eligible to play in the year's next Grand Slam event, the French Open, which starts on 19 May. However, the next tournament he can play in is the Italian Open, which begins on 7 May.

Kyrgios, predictably, didn't take long to sound off on the ruling when it was announced last week.

He posted on X: 'So wada come out and say it would be a 1-2 year ban. Obviously sinners team have done everything in their power to just go ahead and take a 3 month ban, no titles lost, no prize money lost. Guilty or not? Sad day for tennis. Fairness in tennis does not exist.'

In a separate post to Instagram, Kyrgios again took aim.

'To the future generation tennis players - after today, you can dope, just 'without knowing'.... Test positive, play through all the investigation, then settle on a convenient 3 month ban, not get stripped of any money or titles and carry on,' he posted.

'Sad day for me - someone who has played this sport since I was 7 years old, battled injury after injury and have given a shit load to this sport. I pray that kids that play this sport do it the right way.'

In a statement released by his lawyers, Sinner said: 'This case had been hanging over me for nearly a year and the process still had a long time to run with a decision maybe only at the end of the year.

'I have always accepted that I am responsible for my team and realise Wada's strict rules are an important protection for the sport I love. On that basis I have accepted Wada's offer to resolve these proceedings on the basis of a three-month sanction.'

World No 1 Jannik Sinner was handed an immediate three-month ban from tennis

Tennis's anti-doping body, the Tennis Integrity Agency, had accepted Sinner's explanation that the banned substance clostebol entered his system via a cream applied to a cut on his physio's hand.

They judged he bore 'no fault or negligence' and issued no suspension. WADA appealed, seeking a ban because they believe the judgement should have been: 'no significant fault or negligence'.

In August last year, Sinner denied allegations that he was given special treatment – and insists his conscience is clean - after he avoided a ban.

‘Of course I was worried, because it was the first time for me, you know, and hopefully the last time that I am in this situation,’ Sinner continued. ‘I believe I'm a fair player on and off the court… in my mind I know that I haven't done anything wrong.'

Sinner insisted he ‘always will respect these rules of anti-doping’ and denied that he has been treated as a special case. ‘Every player who gets tested positive has to go through the same process. There is no shortcut, there is no different treatment,’ he said.

‘I know sometimes the frustration of other players obviously. But maybe because they got suspended is they didn't know exactly where it comes from, also what substance, but the main reason is where it comes from and how it entered in his own system.’

The International Tennis Integrity Agency announced that, although Sinner was docked 400 ranking points and $250,000 dollars, he was found to bear ‘no fault or negligence’.

The 23-year-old first tested positive during the event in Indian Wells on March 10, then again eight days later.

Sinner was provisionally suspended, but on both occasions he successfully appealed and was allowed to continue playing while the tribunal assessed the evidence. But after a lengthy, behind-close-doors investigation, the player’s reason for the extremely small quantity of clostebol in his system – less than a billionth of a gram – was accepted.