The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has revealed it is appealing the verdict that saw Jannik Sinner escape a suspension for failing two anti-doping tests.
Last month, Sinner avoided a suspension after a court accepted the contamination occurred during a massage by his physiotherapist.
When the International Tennis Integrity Agency (TIA) announced the failed tests, it said that although Sinner would be deducted 400 ranking points and $250,000 (£186,932), he was deemed “without fault or negligence” and was allowed him to compete. at the US Open the following week, an event he won.
However, in a bombshell announcement on Saturday morning, WADA confirmed it disagreed with the original findings that the world’s number one sinner was “without fault or negligence” and appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
They also said that they are asking for a sanction of between one and two years for the Italian.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has announced that it will appeal the verdict that saved the Italian world number one, Jannik Sinner, from a sanction for failing two anti-doping tests.
Sinner did not comply with the sanction after being acquitted of guilt despite two positive anti-doping tests
But WADA disputed that verdict and on Thursday appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
In a statement, they said: “The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) confirms that on Thursday, September 26, it submitted an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in the case of Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner, which an independent tribunal of the International Agency of Tennis Integrity (ITIA) considered that he had no fault or negligence for having twice tested positive for clostebol, a banned substance, in March 2024.
‘WADA considers that the conclusion of “no fault or negligence” was not correct under the applicable standards.
‘WADA requests a period of disqualification of between one and two years. The AMA does not seek the annulment of any result, except that which has already been imposed by the court of first instance.
“As this matter is pending before the CAS, WADA will have no further comment at this time.”
In response to the news, the TIA issued a statement saying: ‘The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) recognizes the decision of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to appeal the No Fault or Negligence ruling in the case of Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner, issued by an independent tribunal appointed by Sport Resolutions on August 19, 2024. Under the terms of the World Anti-Doping Code, WADA has the final right to appeal all such decisions.
‘Having arrived at an agreed set of facts following a thorough investigative process, the case was referred to a tribunal completely independent of the ITIA to determine the level of fault and therefore the sanction due to the unique set of circumstances and the lack of a comparable precedent.
‘The process was carried out in accordance with the guidelines of the World Anti-Doping Code; However, the ITIA recognizes and respects WADA’s right to appeal the independent tribunal’s decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.’
The AMA announcement could mean a sanction for Sinner of between one and two years.
Sinner was in action against Roman Safiullin at the China Open when the news broke.
When the news broke, Sinner was in action against Roman Safiullin at the China Open and is expected to be asked about the matter after the match.
Mail Sport understands there is no timeframe on when the case will begin and that Sinner will not be provisionally suspended.
The 23-year-old had first tested positive for clostebol, a banned anabolic steroid, during the event in Indian Wells on March 10, and then again eight days later.
Sinner was provisionally suspended, but on both occasions he successfully appealed and was allowed to continue playing while the court evaluated the evidence. However, the prize money and ranking points he earned in Indian Wells were deducted.
After a lengthy investigation behind closed doors, in August at a hearing in London the player’s reason for the extremely small amount of clostebol in his system (less than a billionth of a gram) was accepted.
The explanation given by Sinner was that a month before traveling to Indian Wells, his physical trainer Umberto Ferrara bought a spray containing this steroid without a prescription in Italy. Then, during the Indian Wells event, Sinner’s physiotherapist Giacomo Naldi cut his finger and Ferrara advised him to use the spray to treat the wound.
Then, according to a statement from Sinner’s team: “The physical therapist treated Jannik and his lack of attention, along with several open wounds on Jannik’s body, led to the contamination.”
The court also noted that: “There is no suggestion that the small concentration in his system would have had any performance-enhancing effect.”
Clostebol is a derivative of testosterone and can therefore help with muscle growth and recovery. It has been the cause of several failed doping tests in sport, especially in Italy, one of the few countries where clostebol-containing products can be sold without a prescription.
After the original verdict, Sinner said in a statement: “I will now put this most challenging and hugely unfortunate period behind me.”
“I will continue to do everything I can to ensure that I remain compliant with the ITIA anti-doping program and have a team around me that is meticulous in its own compliance.”
Sinner won the Australian Open earlier this year and earned her first Grand Slam title.
Sinner also won the US Open, which began just a week after he avoided any suspension.
Jamie Singer, Sinner’s lawyer, added at the time: “Anti-doping rules have to be very strict to be effective. Unfortunately, the unfortunate consequence is that sometimes completely innocent athletes get caught up in them.
‘There is no doubt that Jannik is innocent in this case. The ITIA did not question that key principle.
“Under the rules, he is responsible for the mistakes of his team members and those mistakes unfortunately led to the positive test.”
Sinner, who also won the Australian Open earlier this year, rose to world number one in June and, along with Carlos Alcaraz, is expected to dominate the next generation of tennis.
