World number one tennis player, Jannik Sinner, has been cleared of any wrongdoing following two failed drug tests in March, just days before the start of the U.S. Open. The International Tennis Integrity Authority (ITIA) announced the decision on Tuesday, stating that an independent tribunal accepted Sinner’s explanation that the anabolic agent clostebol entered his system unintentionally through his support team.
The Italian star, who won the Australian Open earlier this year, explained that his physio, Giacomo Naldi, inadvertently transferred the banned substance to him during massages between March 5-13. According to Sinner, Naldi used an over-the-counter spray containing clostebol on a finger wound and then proceeded to treat Sinner without wearing gloves, unknowingly causing contamination.
“I will now put this challenging and deeply unfortunate period behind me,” the 23-year-old Sinner said in a statement posted on social media, expressing relief at the tribunal’s decision.
Despite being provisionally suspended following the positive tests, Sinner was allowed to continue competing after filing urgent appeals. However, the ITIA confirmed that Sinner’s results, prize money, and ranking points from the ATP Masters 1000 event at Indian Wells, where he tested positive, have been disqualified in accordance with the World Anti-Doping Code and Tennis Anti-Doping Programme regulations.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has stated that it will review the tribunal’s decision and has reserved the right to appeal.
The controversy surrounding Sinner adds to a series of doping cases in tennis, including the recent case of Simona Halep, who had her four-year doping ban reduced to nine months after testing positive for a prohibited substance at the 2022 U.S. Open.
Tennis analysts and players have voiced mixed reactions to Sinner’s case. Seven-time major winner and ESPN analyst John McEnroe expressed surprise, stating, “It’s certainly surprising and shocking, especially at this moment.”
Australian player Nick Kyrgios was more critical, taking to X (formerly Twitter) to voice his disapproval: “Ridiculous—whether it was accidental or planned. You get tested twice with a banned substance… you should be gone for 2 years. Your performance was enhanced.”
As Sinner prepares to take on the U.S. Open, starting August 26, the tennis world watches closely, with the saga continuing to cast a shadow over his career.
