World number one tennis player Jannik Sinner has been handed a three month ban after two drug tests came back positive last year.
The Italian three time major winner was notified by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) that his drug test from March 2024 showed traces of clostebol, an anabolic steroid.
Sinner took action and appealed before an independent tribunal last August, where he claimed that he unknowingly took the banned substance as it was used during a massage to treat a cut to his finger, spraying it onto his body.
Whilst the independent hearing did rule that Sinner violated WADA’s policy for two positive drug tests, he was cleared to compete until WADA filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport for a hearing on 16 and 17 April.
Since the independent hearing, Sinner surged to number one in the ATP Rankings, picking up two majors in the process, the US Open and the Australian Open.
Despite singles success, WADA was still seeking a lengthy ban for Sinner’s doping violations, maintaining that an athlete must bear the responsibility of his accomplice’s negligence.
The anti-doping agency were pursuing a one to two year ban, with Sinner admitting to breaking articles 2.1 and 2.2 of the Tennis Anti-Doping programme.
Some instances for breaking articles 2.1 and 2.2 can result in a maximum four-year ban, whilst this can be reduced to two years if the player can successfully prove his innocence. The accused player can also face no suspension if they have outright no fault or negligence.
WADA and Sinner came to an agreement, where he will face a three month suspension from 9 February until 4 May, enabling him to compete at the French Open at Roland Garros this year.
Sinner subsequently fired his physio Giacomo Naldi and trainer Umberto Ferrara who were blamed for using the products that contained the banned substance.
