The world No. 1, Jannik Sinner, accepted a three-month doping ban after a settlement with the World Anti-Doping Agency that will allow him to appear before the French Open in May, MySportDab Reports.
Sinner, 23, tested positive for clostebol, an anabolic agent, after having received massages and therapy from his support staff.
WADA appealed in August to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to impose a tougher sanction after a separate, independent tribunal found in July that his wrongdoing was not serious enough to receive a ban.
But an agreement was reached between the parties, which resulted in WADA withdrawing the appeal.
The Italian’s suspension ran from February 9 until May 4, with a return to training permitted from April 13. That means he won’t compete in major ATP events like Indian Wells, Miami Open, Monte Carlo and Madrid, but will be eligible to play at the Italian Open from May 8.
“This case has been hanging over my head for almost a year, and I have accepted WADA’s offer to resolve these proceedings,” Sinner said. “I accept my responsibility for my team, and I understand the necessity of anti-doping regulations in preserving the sport.”
Sinner did not intentionally cheat and WADA found that no performance-enhancing benefits resulted from the infraction. But athletes are responsible under anti-doping rules for negligence by their support staff.
The case has elicited mixed responses. The president of the Italian Tennis Federation, Angelo Binaghi, described the outcome as a “shameful injustice” but said he was relieved that Sinner’s name was cleared. “This agreement confirms Jannik’s innocence and provides him the opportunity to move on.”
Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios questioned the fairness of such a ban, noting that others had received much longer bans for comparable breaches. “Guilty or not? Sad day for tennis. There is no fairness in tennis,” Kyrgios posted on social media.
Sinner’s lawyer, Jamie Singer, said his client had no knowledge of the prohibited substance. “It’s evident that Jannik had no intent and he didn’t gain a competitive advantage.” He was the victim of his team’s mistakes in this regard.”
Now that the controversy is behind him, Sinner will look to make a strong comeback, with the French Open set to kick off on May 25.
