American great Serena Williams said she would have been banned for 20 years and stripped of her Grand Slam titles had she failed drug tests like men's world No 1 Jannik Sinner did last year.
Sinner accepted a three-month ban in February following an agreement with the World Anti-Doping Agency, which challenged an independent tribunal's decision to clear him of wrongdoing after two positive tests for the anabolic agent clostebol.
"I love the guy, love this game," Williams, who retired in 2022 after winning 23 Grand Slam trophies, told Time Magazine.
"He's great for the sport. I've been put down so much, I don't want to bring anyone down. Men's tennis needs him.
"(But) if I did that, I would have gotten 20 years. Let's be honest. I would have gotten Grand Slams taken away from me."
Reuters has contacted Sinner's team and Wada for comment.
Reigning Australian Open and US Open champion Sinner, whose ban will end on May 4, has always maintained his innocence though his case raised questions about whether he had received preferential treatment from the authorities.
Iga Swiatek's case also caused some surprise with the women's world No 2 accepting a one-month suspension in November after testing positive for the banned substance trimetazidine.
Former world No 1 Simona Halep was also banned despite denying knowingly taking the banned drug roxadustat and her four-year suspension was cut to nine months in 2024 after an appeal at sport's highest court.
Williams also said she took extra care with what she put into her body during her career in case she ingested something that got her in trouble.