'HARD TO WRAP YOUR HEAD AROUND': REACTION TO PURCELL'S LENGTHY SUSPENSION

Max Purcell's 18-month ban has sparked the need for reform. (Getty/Image Photo Agency)

One week before world No.1 Jannik Sinner returns to action since receiving a three-month doping ban, two-time Grand Slam doubles champion Max Purcell's 18-month suspension has caused immense uproar.

Purcell, winner of the 2024 US Open and 2022 Wimbledon doubles, entered voluntary provisional suspension in December after he "unknowingly received an IV infusion of vitamins above the allowable limit of 100ml".

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It happened during a trip to Bali when Purcell felt unwell, receiving intravenous infusions of over 500ml, deemed five times over the limit set by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

The 27-year-old is ineligible to play, train or coach until June 12 2026.

Despite the infusions not translating to performance-enhancing substances, Purcell's one-and-a-half-year ban, which was handed out by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), has been viewed by many people in the tennis community as inconsistent.

Former world No.33 and 2018 US Open quarter-finalist John Millman didn't hold back on his assessment by the labelling the final outcome as "a joke".

The Queenslander also shared his thoughts when he appeared on ABC News Breakfast.

"It is really hard to wrap your head around it because if you do read the report, [nothing] in his system was performance-enhancing whatsoever. I do want to stress that none of what was found in his system was performance-enhancing, and that has been admitted to by the ITIA," he explained.

"It does feel like it's a case of double standards. I want to go on record and say that I've been one of Sinner's biggest supporters, and I feel like he rightly only got a very, very small ban.

"But it is really hard to justify the 18-month ban that Purcell has, when some of our bigger names have come off a lot, less lighter, especially when none of it was performance-enhancing. It does feel as if some of our top players get slightly preferential treatment, at least in terms of how quickly their case can be heard."

Millman's views have been echoed by many across social media, with former American world No.4 Brad Gilbert writing on X: "They 1000% need a complete overhaul to the system, starting with any test that reads one billionth of a gram (referring to Sinner's case), as warning like missing a test, time to get new company involved and start over."

Speaking on The Tennis Channel, well renowned commentator Jim Courier was baffled by the harsh penalty imposed.

"I don't quite understand exactly why we're punishing someone for an IV infusion. I know it's against the rules; the rules should change. It just doesn't make sense," the former Australian Open winner said.

"If you do something that affects on-court performance and things that are performance-enhancing, I get it, we want to police it, but this is just going too far."

Purcell's outspoken Davis Cup teammate Nick Kyrgios weighed in for the first time less than 24 hours after the decision went public.

Although there are strong calls for serious transformation in how athletes are treated when it comes to positive tests, not everyone expressed sympathy for Purcell.

Part of the ITIA's eight-page explanation reveals that the tennis organisation "recovered data from the mobile phone of another professional tennis player", discovering WhatsApp messages exchanged between Purcell and the unnamed player.

One person on Instagram commented: "Deserves it. Messages are damning. The attempt to deceive and cover-up questions his integrity," who also added that "athletes will sell a sob story for sympathy and innocence, but the facts say otherwise."

Another fan agreed with the take, writing: "That's exactly what took me off supporting him. If he did that indeed then this is more than deserved."

Purcell disclosed that he "was nothing but cooperative with the ITIA".

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