Jannik Sinner has accepted a three-month ban from the World Anti-Doping Agency after twice testing positive for the banned substance clostebol last March. It means that the Italian will be able to participate in the French Open, which starts on 19 May at Roland Garros. He will also be able to compete in the Italian Open, a welcome home tournament that is the warm-up event before the second tennis major of the year. Paris is the City of Love, but the world No. 1 has probably received the best Valentine’s message possible after a year of uncertainty.
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – JANUARY 26: Jannik Sinner of Italy is presented the Norman Brookes Challenge … [+]
The 23-year-old stormed to his second Australian Open last month at Melbourne, but will now be immediately banned from match play until May 4. The key tournaments Sinner will miss include the Sunshine Double at Miami and Indian Wells, where he originally tested positive for the steroid. Sinner lost the 400 ranking points and the prize money of $325,000 at the BNP Paribas Open.
Sinner had originally been cleared by the International Tennis Integrity Agency and the subsequent Independent Tribunal found that the three-time major winner bore no fault or negligence. The Italian’s legal team explained that the samples had been contaminated by a spray inadvertently transmitted by his physio who was using it for a personal finger injury.
However, WADA appealed against that verdict to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. “It is WADA’s view that the finding of “no fault or negligence” was not correct under the applicable rules. WADA is seeking a period of ineligibility of between one and two years,” read their September statement. There was no ambiguity there. That firm stance seems hobbled as Sinner’s legal team clearly sought a quicker and more favorable resolution.
The CAS hearing was due in mid-April, but the breaking news on Saturday came as something of a surprise. There was an expectation that the charge would be reduced to “no significant fault or negligence” and that a subsequent reduced ban could eliminate the player from the Paris and Wimbledon majors based on that 90 day disqualification. Short-term pain would cause damage that was hardly irreparable for a man who is dominating the sport alongside Carlos Alcaraz.
Now Sinner won’t miss the chance to win a fourth slam in the last six events. He is likely to remain at the top of the world rankings too with almost a 3,700 point lead over Alexander Zverev.
“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,” read the statement at the weekend. However, the body also reiterated that the player is responsible for the team’s negligence and deemed that a three-month ban would apply.
Unsurprisingly, Nick Kyrgios has been one of the first voices on the scene. The Australian had already expressed his dismay at the original verdict and was keen to take on Sinner at Melbourne in front of a home crowd. “To the future generation tennis players – after today, you can just dope, just “without knowing”…Test positive, play through all the investigation, then settle on a convenient 3 month ban, not get stripped of any money or titles and carry on,” said the 2022 Wimbledon runner-up on Instagram.
The resolution to Sinner’s case will fuel further rants on the Australian’s timeline. It also gives an impression that top players can find quicker solutions than the rank and file. Sinner’s appeal last year was heard and upheld within weeks, ensuring that he missed no tournaments. Iga Swiatek, the women’s world No. 2, also “accepted” a one-month ban in November for a contaminated medication, melatonin, which the Pole had taken for jet lag. Although the five-time WTA major winner’s level of fault was considered to be at the lowest end of the range for ‘No Significant Fault or Negligence’, the resolution came within three months.
Today’s settlement was a perfect scenario for Sinner in a messy saga. The question is more about the application of rules towards the current U.S. Open champion than his innocence. The former ATP Newcomer of the Year has constantly expressed he had done nothing wrong but acknowledged that he is responsible for his team.
“When you start reading words like settlement or agreement, it feels like there’s been a negotiation and I don’t think that will sit well with the player cohort and the fans of the sport,” said four-time Wimbledon semifinalist, Tim Henman, not a man given to controversial statements.
LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 09: Jannik Sinner of Italy reacts as he speaks to medical staff while he … [+]
The Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA), set up to equalize the welfare of every player on the tennis circuit, criticised the different approaches between recent doping cases. “The ”system” is not a system. It’s a club. Supposed case-by-case discretion is, in fact, merely cover for tailored deals, unfair treatment, and inconsistent rulings,” published the association co-founded by Novak Djokovic.
A doping ban that ends with short-term pain has now been applied to two of the top players in the world in quick succession. The optics are questionable even if the outcome was fair.
