Jannik Sinner is facing a ban of up to two years after the World Anti-Doping Agency lodged an appeal against the decision to find him blameless for failing two drugs tests.
Sinner won the US Open earlier this month, defeating Britain’s Jack Draper in the semi-final, having been cleared to play in the tournament after an independent panel convened by Sports Resolutions accepted the world No 1’s positive tests were the result of contamination from a massage by his physiotherapist for which he was not at fault.
Just over a month later, Wada has now confirmed it is challenging the verdict at sport’s highest court.
“The World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) confirms that on Thursday 26 September, it lodged an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas) in the case of Italian tennis player, Jannik Sinner, who was found by an independent tribunal of the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) to bear no fault or negligence having twice tested positive for clostebol, a prohibited substance, in March 2024.
“It is Wada’s view that the finding of ‘no fault or negligence’ was not correct under the applicable rules. Wada is seeking a period of ineligibility of between one and two years. Wada is not seeking a disqualification of any results, save that which has already been imposed by the tribunal of first instance.
“As this matter is now pending before Cas, Wada will make no further comment at this time.”
The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) released a statement following the move by Wada.
“The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) acknowledges the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) decision to appeal the ruling of No Fault or Negligence in the case of Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner, issued by an independent tribunal appointed by Sport Resolutions on 19 August 2024. Under the terms of the World Anti-Doping Code, Wada has the final right to appeal all such decisions.
“Having reached an agreed set of facts following a thorough investigative process, the case was referred to a tribunal entirely independent of the ITIA to determine level of fault and therefore sanction because of the unique set of circumstances, and lack of comparable precedent. The process was run according to World Anti-Doping Code guidelines; however, the ITIA acknowledges and respects Wada’s right to appeal the independent tribunal’s decision in the Court of Arbitration for Sport.”
Wada’s appeal will rock tennis after Sinner went on to win the US Open following the original decision in his case, having already claimed his first major at the Australian Open.
Sinner sacked the physiotherapist blamed for his positive tests and the fitness coach who supplied the steroid following the publication of a decision in his case before the final major of the year in New York.
The world No 1 confirmed Giacomo Naldi and Umberto Ferrara had paid with their jobs in his first press conference since it was ruled the world No 1 bore “no fault or negligence” for clostebol being found in his urine in March.
It was announced last month that an independent tribunal had accepted Sinner’s positive tests were the result of contamination from a massage by Naldi, who had unwittingly exposed him to the banned substance by using a spray containing it to treat a cut finger.
Ferrara also admitted supplying the spray to Naldi, claiming he had warned him it contained such a substance – although the latter disputed this.
Speaking ahead of the US Open, Sinner said: “They have been a huge part of my career. We worked together for two years. We made an incredible job, bringing a lot of success and then having a great team behind me.
“Now, because of these mistakes, I’m not feeling that confident to continue with them. The only thing I just need right now, just some clean air.”
Sinner admitted he had been “struggling a lot in the last months” after his coach, Darren Cahill, said that the doping case had made the Italian so ill that he was forced to miss the Olympics with tonsillitis.
The player, who is seeking his second grand slam in the coming days after winning his first at the Australian Open in January, added of a four-month ordeal that ended last week: “Of course, it’s not ideal before a grand slam. But, in my mind, I know that I haven’t done anything wrong.
“I had to play already months with this in my head, but just remembering myself that I haven’t done really anything wrong. I always will respect these rules of anti-doping. Just, obviously, a relief for myself having this result.”
Despite escaping a ban, Sinner was stripped of the 400 ranking points and £250,000 prize money he earned at March’s Masters 1000 tournament in Indian Wells, where he was beaten in the semi-finals by Carlos Alcaraz. But he feared it could have been much worse, with not all athletes found to have tested positive through contamination avoiding suspension.
“Of course, I was worried, because it was the first time for me and hopefully the last time that I am in this situation, position,” Sinner said.
“A different part we have to see is the amount I had in my body, which is 0.000000001, so there are a lot of zeroes before coming up with a one. So I was worried, of course, because I’m always the player who was working very, very carefully in this. I believe I’m a fair player on and off the court.”
Sinner’s drugs ban reprieve nevertheless provoked a backlash from his fellow professionals, with Nick Kyrgios branding it “ridiculous”. Sinner suggested the case had exposed who his friends and enemies were, admitting he had to accept he was unable to control the impact of it on his reputation.
“Whoever knows me very well knows that I haven’t done and I would never do something what goes against the rules,” he said.
“Here, I also know who is my friend and who is not my friend, no, because, my friends, they know that I would never do that.”
