CNN
 — 

Tennis star Jannik Sinner revealed he considered walking away from the sport over his recent doping suspension.

The world No. 1 is approaching the end of a three-month ban having twice tested positive for banned substance Clostebol, an anabolic steroid, in March last year.

The three-time grand slam champion previously escaped a ban when the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) ruled that he wasn’t at fault for the positive tests, accepting that the contamination was caused by a physio applying an over-the-counter spray.

However, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) subsequently lodged an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), leading to Sinner accepting a suspension from February 9 to May 4.

In an interview with Italian state broadcaster RAI, Sinner was asked whether he thought about stepping away from tennis at any time during the ordeal, to which he said he had.

“I remember before the Australian Open this year, it wasn’t a very happy time,” the 23-year-old said. “I didn’t really feel comfortable in the locker room, where we were eating. Players were looking at me differently. I said to myself: ‘Maybe, I need to take some time off after Australia.’ I didn’t want (the ban) though.

“I had a tough time accepting these three months. Because I knew that I didn’t do anything wrong. So why do I have to pay this price? But then we discussed it with my lawyer and about what could have happened in the worst-case scenario and so we decided to accept it.”

The saga around Sinner has shone a spotlight on the current anti-doping protocols in tennis, with several players raising concerns about possible preferential treatment for the top stars.

Sinner, for example, won’t miss any grand slam events during his ban. He also won the U.S.
Open and Australian Open while waiting for a verdict on his suspension.

Recently, Serena Williams said she would have been banned for “20 years” and “gotten grand slams taken away” if the same thing had happened to her. Meanwhile, Novak Djokovic said that the whole case was “not a good image for our sport.”

But as he prepares to return to action, the Italian says he’s focusing on his preparations before he steps back into competitive action.

“I don’t even want to answer. Everyone is free to say what they want, everyone can judge, but that’s okay,” Sinner said. “It’s important to me that I know how that happened, but above all also of what I went through and it was very difficult.

“I don’t wish it on anyone to really pass as innocent something like that because it wasn’t easy, but we are in a world where everyone can say what they want, so it’s okay.”

CNN
 — 

Transgender women will be barred from playing in women’s soccer in England from June 1, the English Football Association (FA) announced on Thursday.

“We understand that this will be difficult for people who simply want to play the game they love in the gender by which they identify, and we are contacting the registered transgender women currently playing to explain the changes and how they can continue to stay involved in the game,” the organizing body for soccer in Britain said in a statement.

The FA clarified to CNN Sports that this ban will impact all levels of women’s soccer, from the professional game to the grassroots level.

CNN understands that there are around 20 transgender women who could be affected by this ruling, all playing in the amateur levels of the game.

The decision comes after the UK’s Supreme Court ruled last month that the legal definition of “woman” excludes trans women in a case that is expected to impact accommodations for trans women in bathrooms, hospital wards, sports clubs and more.

Britain’s highest court ruled unanimously that the definition of a woman in equality legislation refers to “a biological woman and biological sex,” sparking celebrations outside court among gender-critical campaigners but warnings it was a “worrying” development for transgender people.

Just days before the April 16 ruling from the UK’s Supreme Court, the FA had updated its policy on transgender women playing in women’s soccer to allow trans women who had kept their testosterone levels below 5.0 nanomoles per liter of blood for 12 months prior to a match and thereafter to continue to participate.

In Thursday’s statement, the FA said that its previous policy, which allowed trans women to play in the women’s game, was based on the principle of making “football accessible to as many people as possible” and “supported by expert legal advice,” as well as falling in the laws outlined by UEFA and FIFA, the governing bodies for European and global soccer respectively.

CNN has reached out to FIFA, UEFA and LGBTQ activist group Athlete Ally for comment.

“This is a complex subject, and our position has always been that if there was a material change in law, science, or the operation of the policy in grassroots football then we would review it and change it if necessary,” the FA said.

The FA’s announcement comes days after its Scottish counterpart did similar in banning transgender women from playing soccer from the start of next season.

When contacted by CNN, LGBTQ activist group Stonewall called the FA’s and Scottish FA’s decisions “incredibly disappointing,” referencing their previous support for the Rainbow Laces campaign, aimed at increasing inclusivity in soccer.

“The (decision) … has been made too soon, before the implications of the Supreme Court’s ruling has been worked through by lawyers and politicians or become law,” a Stonewall spokesperson said.

“Trans women young and old who love football will be deeply distressed that they are no longer able to take part in games, at all levels. Trans people remain protected under the law and need to be treated with dignity and respect – and this announcement lacks any detail on how those obligations will be honoured.

“Hasty decisions, without a full understanding of the practical implications and before any changes to guidance have gone through the necessary consultation and parliamentary process, isn’t the answer.”

CNN
 — 

Lamine Yamal is still only 17 years old, didn’t you know?

The chances are you’ve heard that a lot recently, especially over the past 24 hours following his sumptuous performance against Inter Milan in the Champions League. But it really does bear repeating because what Yamal is doing at 17 is not normal.

And you’ll probably be hearing it a lot more until July 13, when he turns 18.

Even Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, by far the two best players of their generation, didn’t even come close to touching the heights Yamal has already.

This stat will give you some idea as to just how far Yamal is along in his development.

At 17, Messi had played in nine matches, scored one goal and provided zero assists. Ronaldo had five goals and four assists in 19 matches. Yamal? 100 matches, 22 goals and 33 assists.

Again, this is not normal.

Since making his first-team debut aged 15 in 2023, Yamal has already gone on to win a La Liga title, a Copa del Rey and the 2024 European Championships with Spain.

But it’s not just that Yamal is consistently producing the goods when it matters most, he does so with a swagger and fearlessness that belies his green years.

He plays with total joy and freedom, too, as though each time he steps onto the pitch he’s merely having a kickaround with his friends at the park.

The way Yamal can control his body, feinting this way and that and transferring his body weight from one side to the other, makes him a nightmare to defend.

One moment against Inter highlighted this control perfectly, as Yamal dropped a shoulder and produced a perfect ‘Marseille turn’ to bamboozle two defenders.

Barcelona manager Hansi Flick called Yamal “a genius.”

“He’s special,” Flick told reporters. “After the game, when you see the situations he has in the match, you see all the details and it’s unbelievable how he does it.”

Inter manager Simone Inzaghi described Yamal as a generational talent.

“Lamine caused us so many problems,” he told reporters, per Marca. “He’s a talent that comes along every 50 years. I saw him live for the first time today; we doubled up on marking him, tripled him, and he still did that.

“We tweaked some things; it’s easier in front of a computer or a microphone. He’s a player who impressed me and caused us a lot of problems in the last half hour.”

TNT pundit and former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand said Yamal’s performance on Wednesday was “mesmerizing this whole stadium.”

“Just to see a young 17-year-old, the amount of times he actually had the ball, the amount of times he impacted a sequence of play,” Ferdinand said on TNT.

“Every part of his foot he was using today; the different detail, the different ways he was moving his body to receive the ball, just every facet of his game today was on show, and it was quite beautiful to be here and be a part of.”

Ferdinand also praised Yamal’s decision making and the way he is able to make an impression at crucial times in a match.

“He’s 17 years old, he has 100 appearances and the way he’s just taking over games for moments, it’s just great to see that,” he added. “When I talk about the best, pure talent, he has the ability to play different ways in a football match.

“He can affect the game through just passing and being a creator, he can also run past people and eliminate players, and then finishing. To do that makes him a very unique proposition.”

Fellow TNT pundit and former footballer Ally McCoist said Yamal’s first-half performance was “as good a 45 minutes for an individual I’ve seen certainly in a long, long time.”

He added: “To watch him close at hand – he looked to be 30 or 40 yards in front of us – there were balls with the outside of his left foot, inside of his left foot. His goal, for example, was just majestic.

“There were just so many aspects to his game today. He was absolutely first class and to think a 17-year-old boy, I know he plays with freedom, but it’s like he’s been playing for 15, 20 years. His game knowledge is absolutely incredible for a 17-year-old.”