Top-ranked tennis player Jannik Sinner has accepted a three-month ban in a settlement with the World Anti-Doping Agency over his two positive doping tests, the organization said Saturday.
WADA, which was looking for to ban Sinner from the game for a minimum of one yr, had challenged a call last yr by the International Tennis Integrity Agency to not suspend Sinner for what the ITIA judged was accidental contamination by a banned anabolic steroid last March.
Sinner’s explanation — that trace amounts of Clostebol in his doping sample was because of a massage from a trainer who used the substance after cutting his own finger — had been accepted.
The 23-year-old Italian, who won the Australian Open in January, will probably be eligible to compete in the following Grand Slam.
The French Open begins May 25.
“This case had been hanging over me now for nearly a yr and the method still had a protracted time to run with a call possibly only at the tip of the yr,” Sinner said in a press release. “I actually have all the time accepted that I’m answerable for my team and realize WADA’s strict rules are a very important protection for the game I really like. On that basis I actually have accepted WADA’s offer to resolve these proceedings on the idea of a 3-month sanction.”
WADA had originally appealed the ITIA’s ruling to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland. It has formally withdrawn the appeal.
“WADA accepts the athlete’s explanation for the reason behind the violation as outlined in the primary instance decision. WADA accepts that Mr. Sinner didn’t intend to cheat, and that his exposure to Clostebol didn’t provide any performance-enhancing profit and took place without his knowledge as the results of negligence of members of his entourage,” it said in Saturday’s announcement.
“Nevertheless,” the WADA statement continued, “under the code and by virtue of CAS precedent, an athlete bears responsibility for the entourage’s negligence. Based on the unique set of facts of this case, a three-month suspension is deemed to be an appropriate consequence. As previously stated, WADA didn’t seek a disqualification of any results, save that which was previously imposed by the tribunal of first instance.”
WADA added that the International Tennis Federation and ITIA, “each co-respondents to WADA’s CAS appeal, neither of which appealed the first-instance decision, each accepted the case resolution agreement. ”
On Friday, Sinner posted a video on Instagram of himself training in Doha on the Qatar Open, which starts next week.
The suspension is from Feb. 9 to May 4.
Sinner could return at his home tournament, the Italian Open in Rome, which starts May 7.
Italian Tennis and Padel Federation president Angelo Binaghi noted that while the case was “a shameful injustice,” the ban will mark “the tip of a nightmare” for Sinner.
Binaghi adds that the settlement “demonstrates Jannik’s innocence” and that “all of Italy” will welcome him back on the Italian Open.
The ITIA said it acknowledged the settlement but in its statement Saturday reiterated that “we were satisfied that the player had established the source of the prohibited substance and that the breach was unintentional. Today’s consequence supports this finding.”
Sinner’s London-based lawyer, Jamie Singer commented: “I’m delighted that Jannik can finally put this harrowing experience behind him. WADA has confirmed the facts determined by the Independent Tribunal. It is obvious that Jannik had no intent, no knowledge, and gained no competitive advantage. Regrettably, errors made by members of his team led to this example.”
Top-ranked tennis player Jannik Sinner has accepted a three-month ban in a settlement with the World Anti-Doping Agency over his two positive doping tests, the organization said Saturday.
WADA, which was looking for to ban Sinner from the game for a minimum of one yr, had challenged a call last yr by the International Tennis Integrity Agency to not suspend Sinner for what the ITIA judged was accidental contamination by a banned anabolic steroid last March.
Sinner’s explanation — that trace amounts of Clostebol in his doping sample was because of a massage from a trainer who used the substance after cutting his own finger — had been accepted.
The 23-year-old Italian, who won the Australian Open in January, will probably be eligible to compete in the following Grand Slam.
The French Open begins May 25.
“This case had been hanging over me now for nearly a yr and the method still had a protracted time to run with a call possibly only at the tip of the yr,” Sinner said in a press release. “I actually have all the time accepted that I’m answerable for my team and realize WADA’s strict rules are a very important protection for the game I really like. On that basis I actually have accepted WADA’s offer to resolve these proceedings on the idea of a 3-month sanction.”
WADA had originally appealed the ITIA’s ruling to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland. It has formally withdrawn the appeal.
“WADA accepts the athlete’s explanation for the reason behind the violation as outlined in the primary instance decision. WADA accepts that Mr. Sinner didn’t intend to cheat, and that his exposure to Clostebol didn’t provide any performance-enhancing profit and took place without his knowledge as the results of negligence of members of his entourage,” it said in Saturday’s announcement.
“Nevertheless,” the WADA statement continued, “under the code and by virtue of CAS precedent, an athlete bears responsibility for the entourage’s negligence. Based on the unique set of facts of this case, a three-month suspension is deemed to be an appropriate consequence. As previously stated, WADA didn’t seek a disqualification of any results, save that which was previously imposed by the tribunal of first instance.”
WADA added that the International Tennis Federation and ITIA, “each co-respondents to WADA’s CAS appeal, neither of which appealed the first-instance decision, each accepted the case resolution agreement. ”
On Friday, Sinner posted a video on Instagram of himself training in Doha on the Qatar Open, which starts next week.
The suspension is from Feb. 9 to May 4.
Sinner could return at his home tournament, the Italian Open in Rome, which starts May 7.
Italian Tennis and Padel Federation president Angelo Binaghi noted that while the case was “a shameful injustice,” the ban will mark “the tip of a nightmare” for Sinner.
Binaghi adds that the settlement “demonstrates Jannik’s innocence” and that “all of Italy” will welcome him back on the Italian Open.
The ITIA said it acknowledged the settlement but in its statement Saturday reiterated that “we were satisfied that the player had established the source of the prohibited substance and that the breach was unintentional. Today’s consequence supports this finding.”
Sinner’s London-based lawyer, Jamie Singer commented: “I’m delighted that Jannik can finally put this harrowing experience behind him. WADA has confirmed the facts determined by the Independent Tribunal. It is obvious that Jannik had no intent, no knowledge, and gained no competitive advantage. Regrettably, errors made by members of his team led to this example.”
