Home SPORTS World No. 1 Jannik Sinner Handed Three-Month Suspension

World No. 1 Jannik Sinner Handed Three-Month Suspension

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World number one Jannik Sinner has accepted a three-month doping ban after testing positive for clostebol, and will return to competition in May.


World number one Jannik Sinner has accepted a three-month doping ban, effective immediately, following a settlement with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). This agreement will allow the 23-year-old Italian tennis star to return to competition before the French Open in May.


The settlement comes after WADA appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against an independent tribunal's decision in August, which initially cleared Sinner of any wrongdoing. The tribunal's ruling was made despite Sinner failing multiple drug tests, prompting WADA to challenge the decision and ultimately leading to the agreed-upon ban.



Jannik Sinner, the reigning Australian Open champion, had tested positive for the anabolic agent clostebol. According to Sinner, the substance entered his system through massages and sports therapy administered by a member of his support team.


Sinner's three-month ban commenced on February 9th and will conclude on May 4th. He is permitted to resume training on April 13th, allowing him to prepare for the French Open, which is scheduled to begin on May 25th.


The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) released a statement on Saturday, confirming the details of Sinner's ban. “WADA confirms that it has entered into a case resolution agreement in the case of Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner, with the player accepting a three-month period of ineligibility for an anti-doping rule violation,” the statement read.


WADA acknowledged that Sinner did not intentionally cheat and that the presence of clostebol in his system did not provide any performance-enhancing benefits. However, the agency emphasized that athletes bear responsibility for the actions of their entourage. “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. However, under the Code and by virtue of CAS precedent, an athlete bears responsibility for the entourage's negligence.”




The case was initially set to be heard by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in April, with Sinner facing a potential ban of up to two years. However, the agreement between WADA and Sinner has resolved the matter, and he will now miss several prominent tournaments, including Indian Wells, the Miami Open, Monte Carlo, and Madrid.


The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has formally withdrawn its appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) after reaching a settlement with Jannik Sinner. Notably, WADA did not pursue disqualification of Sinner's results, instead focusing on the agreed-upon three-month ban.


Jannik Sinner expressed relief that the matter has been resolved, stating, “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 acknowledged his responsibility for his team and accepted WADA's strict rules as essential for protecting the integrity of the sport. He continued, “On that basis, I have accepted WADA's offer to resolve these proceedings on the basis of a three-month sanction.”


Sinner's case bears some resemblance to that of world number two Iga Swiatek, who accepted a one-month doping ban in November after testing positive for the banned substance trimetazidine (TMZ). Swiatek had been provisionally suspended from September 12th to October 4th, resulting in her missing three tournaments, and also forfeited prize money from the Cincinnati Open, the tournament that immediately followed the positive test.


Reaction to Sinner's Ban

Italian Tennis and Padel Federation president Angelo Binaghi has slammed the ban imposed on Jannik Sinner, calling it a “shameful injustice.” Binaghi stated that Sinner would be welcomed with open arms at the Italian Open, which begins in Rome three days after his ban ends. “This is the first time that a shameful injustice makes us happy because our first thought is for the boy who sees the end of a nightmare,” Binaghi said. “This agreement between the two parties certifies Jannik's innocence, his absolute non-guilt, and finally allows him to calm down and plan his future with a great comeback... in Rome.”




Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios has expressed his disappointment and frustration with the ban, stating that it was a “sad day for tennis.” Kyrgios pointed out that several other players had received longer bans for similar positive tests. “Obviously Sinner's team have done everything in their power to just go ahead and take a three-month ban, no titles lost, no prize money lost,” Kyrgios wrote on social media platform X. “Guilty or not? Sad day for tennis. Fairness in tennis does not exist.”


Sinner's lawyer, Jamie Singer, has defended his client, stating that WADA had confirmed the facts determined by the independent tribunal. Singer emphasized that Sinner had no intent, no knowledge, and gained no competitive advantage from the banned substance. “It is clear that Jannik had no intent, no knowledge, and gained no competitive advantage. Regrettably, errors made by members of his team led to this situation,” Singer said.



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