Sinner 'doesn't deserve any of the hate', says Draper

Jack Draper believes it has been important to stand up for his friend Jannik Sinner and that the Italian is undeserving of any hate as he prepares to return next month from his three-month doping ban.

- Tumaini Carayol

"When people ask about him, or anyone, I'll tell the truth," Draper said, in a joint interview with the Guardian and the BBC. "I think Jannik is a really, really genuine, nice person. And on top of that, he's obviously an unbelievable player. In this situation, I'm sure that he would have absolutely zero idea of anything. That's just the way life goes - sometimes there's mistakes."

"In terms of actually how I feel about him as a person, I think it's important for people to know and recognise that the guy's very, very kind-hearted and a good human being. So he doesn't deserve any of the hate that he gets."

Last week, after flying home following his difficult third-round defeat against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina in Monte Carlo, the British No 1 returned to Monaco for a three-day training block with Sinner. Draper is the first top player to train with the Italian as he plots his return. The pair played on indoor clay at Tennis Club de Beaulieu, which generated some attention since an ITF Junior event was being played at the same venue, and at the Monte Carlo Country Club, the venue of the Masters 1000 event.