Sinner handed three-month doping ban in deal with WADA

Sinner handed three-month doping ban in deal with WADA

Sinner handed three-month doping ban in deal with WADA ByShahid Judge Feb 16, 2025 05:12 AM IST Share Via Copy Link The Italian world No.1 was handed a three-month doping ban in a deal with the World Anti-Doping Agency

Mumbai: Italian world No.1 Jannik Sinner was handed a three-month doping ban in a deal with the World Anti-Doping Agency announced on Saturday and criticised as lacking impartiality and fairplay, after women’s former No.1 Iga Swiatek’s controversial doping case that saw only a one-month suspension last year.

Jannik Sinner reacts after a point against Alexander Zverev during their Australian Open match last month. (AFP)

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) had appealed to the Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS) against the International Tennis Integrity Agency’s (ITIA) decision to not suspend Sinner after twice testing positive for clostebol, a banned anabolic agent, in March last year. He denied any wrongdoing and blamed his support staff, arguing that the substance entered his body while being given massage.

The hearing in the case was scheduled for April, but Sinner’s camp accepted a three-month ban after reaching a settlement with WADA.

The WADA decision – the suspension runs from February 9 to May 4, and he can return to training on April 13 – will allow the three-time Slam champion to play in the French Open. It was seen as a convenient decision by Nick Kyrgios and Stan Wawrinka.

The handling of the Sinner and Swiatek cases were criticised after Romania’s former world No.1 Simona Halep, handed a four-year doping ban after testing positive at the 2022 US Open, had complained of a long delay in even getting a hearing for her appeal. CAS reduced the ban to nine months, but Halep, plagued by injuries, announced her retirement recently.

Sinner’s case came to light only when ITIA revealed that he had been “cleared of any wrongdoing”. The fact that Sinner was allowed to compete during the investigation period – during when he became the world No.1 – prompted criticism that he was being given preferential treatment. The 23-year-old went on to win the 2024 US Open and then defended his Australian Open title last month.

The final in Melbourne against Alexander Zverev was his last professional match before the suspension came into effect. The French Open starts on May 25.

“This case had been hanging over me now 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,” Sinner said in a statement released by his lawyers. “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.”

“WADA confirms that it has entered into a case resolution agreement in the case of Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner.” a WADA statement said. “WADA accepts that Mr Sinner did not intend to cheat and that his exposure to clostebol did not provide any performance-enhancing benefit and took place without his knowledge as the result of negligence of members of his entourage.”

The Italian will miss ATP Masters 1000 events in Indian Wells, Miami, Madrid and Monte Carlo, but will be back for his home Italian Open in Rome, which begins on May 7.

Swiatek’s positive test was also kept under wraps and wasn’t announced until she had served her brief suspension. She was then allowed to compete at the year-end WTA Finals.

“Supposed case-by-case discretion is, in fact, merely cover for tailored deals, unfair treatment, and inconsistent rulings,” the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) said in a statement. “It’s not just the different results for different players. It’s the lack of transparency. The lack of process. The lack of consistency. The lack of commitment from the ATP, WTA, Grand Slams, ITIA, and WADA to reform and create a fair and transparent system going forward.”