Jannik Sinner doping case: WADA demands a suspension of up to two years on appeal

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has announced it will appeal the finding of no fault or negligence in Jannik Sinner’s anti-doping case.

WADA is seeking a “one- or two-year ineligibility period” during which the world’s No. 1 tennis player and two-time Grand Slam champion will be barred from participating in the sport at all levels. Sinner won the US Open in New York just three weeks ago.

Sinner, who is currently playing at the China Open in Beijing, said he was “surprised” by WADA’s decision.

“Of course I am very disappointed and also surprised by this call, to be honest, because we have had three hearings. All three hearings were very positive for me,” he told reporters after beating Roman Safiullin to reach the last eight in Beijing.

“We always talk about the same thing. Maybe they just want to make sure everything is in the right place.”

In a further statement, a “disappointed” Sinner added that there had been “three separate hearings in each case which confirmed my innocence” in the case.

“Several months of interviews and investigations culminated in three senior judges scrutinizing every detail at a formal hearing,” the statement continued.

“They issued an in-depth judgment explaining why they determined I was not at fault, with clear evidence and my cooperation throughout the process.

“Thanks to such a robust process, both the ITIA and the Italian Anti-Doping Authority accepted and waived their right to appeal.”

Sinner added that the need for a “thorough investigation” was understandable and that he would “cooperate fully” with the investigation, but questioned why the trial needed to be reopened.

Sinner tested positive for clostebol, a banned anabolic steroid, twice: on March 10 during the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California, and on March 18 out of competition.

An independent tribunal convened by the ITIA and led by Sports Resolutions ruled that Sinner bore “no fault or negligence” for those positive tests at a hearing on August 15, but still ruled that Sinner had committed two anti-doping violations, for which he was convicted . stripped of his ranking points, prize money and results from that event.

It accepted the Italian world number 1’s statement that Sinner’s physiotherapist Umberto Ferrara had brought an over-the-counter medicinal spray containing clostebol to Indian Wells. His trainer, physiotherapist, Giacomo Naldi, cut his hand and then used the spray on that cut. Naldi then performed massages on Sinner, leading to transdermal contamination with the clostebol from the healing spray.

Sinner said goodbye to Naldi and Ferrara on the eve of the US Open.

WADA is now challenging the decision that Sinner was not at fault for his offence. A statement released today, Saturday, September 28, said: “The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) confirms that it lodged an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on Thursday, September 26 in the case of Italian tennis player, Jannik Sinner, who was found not to be at fault or negligent by an independent International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) tribunal after testing positive twice for clostebol, a banned substance, in March 2024.

“WADA believes that the finding of “no fault or negligence” was incorrect under the applicable rules. WADA requires an ineligibility period of one to two years. WADA does not seek to disqualify results other than those already imposed by the tribunal of first instance.”

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In response, the ITIA issued its own statement.

“The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) acknowledges the decision of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to appeal the ruling of ‘No Fault or Negligence’ in the case of Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner, issued by a independent tribunal appointed by Sport Resolutions on September 19. August 2024. Under the terms of the World Anti-Doping Code, WADA has the final right to appeal all such decisions,” an ITIA spokesperson said.

“After reaching an agreement following a thorough investigative process, the matter was referred to a tribunal completely independent of the ITIA to determine the level of culpability and therefore the sanction due to the unique circumstances and lack of comparable precedent.

“The process was conducted in accordance with the guidelines of the World Anti-Doping Code; However, the ITIA recognizes and respects WADA’s right to appeal the decision of the independent tribunal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.”

Jannik Sinner won the US Open in the immediate aftermath of the ITIA ruling on his anti-doping case. (Al Bello/Getty Images)

In the ITIA’s full decision, Professor David Cowan said that “even if the administration had been intentional, the minute amounts likely to have been administered would not have had (…) any relevant doping or performance-enhancing effect on the player.”

A positive test for clostebol carries a mandatory provisional suspension from tennis, but two other independent tribunals have upheld Sinner’s appeals against these suspensions, which were active between April 4 and 5 and between April 17 and 20. The success of those appeals meant that the two positive tests and associated suspensions were only made public after the conclusion of the ITIA investigation into Sinner’s case. This led to accusations of double standards from some of Sinner’s tennis peers, but is in accordance with ITIA protocol.

In a statement released at the end of the investigation, Sinner said: “I will now put this very challenging and hugely unhappy period behind me.” The best men’s tennis player in the world will now have to resume.

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Sinner emerged from months of uncertainty to win the US Open three weeks ago. Now he is being reinvestigated and the initial ITIA ruling is being scrutinized again.

It wasn’t that the world number 1 necessarily seemed liberated in New York – his post-match press conference after the final was both subdued and celebratory – but there was an air of Sinner having temporarily closed a chapter behind him. .

However, the prospect of a WADA call-up was always present and Saturday morning brought the news that Sinner would have feared. He was able to distinguish himself quite well in the five months from the time he was informed of the positive test to its disclosure in August. He even won the Cincinnati Open two days before the full decision in his case was announced.

But during his press conference after the last press conference in New York, he acknowledged that his behavior and personality had changed during the investigation.

“It was obviously very difficult to enjoy certain moments,” he said.

“Even the way I behaved or how I entered the field at some tournaments was not the same as before.”

Jannik Sinner answered numerous questions about his case during his pre-tournament press conference and during the US Open. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)

This decision by WADA, and the associated push for a ban of up to two years, will be another major challenge to his mentality.

When the independent tribunal convened by the ITIA ruled that Sinner was “not at fault or negligent” – the key term WADA is challenging – numerous players, some high-profile, argued that the speed of his case indicated double standards . in sports.

There will certainly be dismay in the upper echelons of tennis at the world’s best male player facing a doping investigation, as WADA’s appeal will now be referred to CAS.

(Top photo: Kena Betancur/AFP via Getty Images)