Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios believes it is ‘ridiculous’ that Jannik Sinner has escaped suspension for failing two drugs tests.
Sinner tested positive for the banned anabolic steroid clostebol during the Indian Wells tournament on March 10 and again eight days later.
The Italian was provisionally suspended but successfully appealed and is eligible to continue playing on the ATP Tour while the International Tennis Integrity Unit assesses all the evidence.
Sinner’s explanation for the banned substance entering his system was that his physiotherapist Umberto Ferrara used a spray containing clostebol to treat a wound on the tennis star’s finger.
The 23-year-old’s team said Ferrara had bought the spray in Italy, one of the few countries that allows people to buy products containing clostebol without a prescription.
Nick Kyrgios was unhappy that Sinner escaped suspension after failing two drug tests
Sinner was tested during Indian Wells and tested positive for the banned substance clostebol.
Nick Kyrgios attacked Sinner on social media and called for the Italian to be suspended
However, Kyrgios did not believe the explanation and called for Sinner to be suspended.
“Ridiculous, whether accidental or planned.” Kyrgios wrote in X.
‘If you are tested twice for a banned substance (steroid)… you should be out for two years.
“Your performance has improved. Massage cream… Yes, that’s good.”
The news of Sinner’s failed tests was announced Tuesday by the International Tennis Integrity Unit, which stated that Sinner had “no fault or negligence.”
However, Sinner was docked 400 ranking points as well as $250,000, the amount of ranking points and prize money he won at Indian Wells.
The investigation found that Sinner had a minuscule amount of clostebol in his system, equivalent to less than one billionth of a gram.
“There is no suggestion that the small concentration in his system would have had any performance-enhancing effect,” the court said.
The news of the Italian tennis player’s failed tests came just days after he won the Cincinnati Open.
Sinner now turns his attention to the US Open as he looks to win his second Grand Slam this year.
In a statement, Sinner said: “I will put this very difficult and unfortunate period behind me. I will continue to do everything I can to ensure I remain compliant with the ITIA anti-doping programme and I have a team around me who are meticulous in their own compliance.”
Sinner’s attention now turns to the US Open, which begins on August 26.