Sinner escapes doping ban, ahead of US Open

World number one tennis player Jannik Sinner was cleared of any wrongdoing by an independent tribunal after failing two drug tests in March, according to the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) on Tuesday. The decision comes just days before the Italian is set to compete in the US Open.

The tribunal, organised by Sport Resolutions, accepted Sinner’s explanation that the anabolic agent clostebol entered his system accidentally through massages and sports therapy administered by a member of his support team. Sinner, the Australian Open champion, stated that his physiotherapist, Giacomo Naldi, unknowingly applied an over-the-counter spray containing clostebol to treat a small cut on his finger. Naldi then proceeded to administer massages to Sinner between 5-13 March without wearing gloves, leading to the substance's transfer.

The ITIA confirmed that Sinner’s first positive drug test was on 10 March, followed by a second on 18 March. Following these tests, a provisional suspension was imposed; however, Sinner was permitted to continue playing after his team filed urgent appeals. Despite this, the ITIA announced that Sinner’s results, prize money, and ranking points from the ATP Masters 1000 event at Indian Wells, where he tested positive for clostebol, would be disqualified in accordance with the World Anti-Doping Code and Tennis Anti-Doping Programme regulations.

Sinner, who has consistently maintained his innocence, highlighted that the amount of clostebol detected in his system was less than a billionth of a gram. "I will now put this challenging and deeply unfortunate period behind me," the 23-year-old player stated in a message shared on social media.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) indicated that it would review the tribunal’s decision and reserved the right to appeal.

The ATP Tour commented on the case, emphasising the importance of players and their support teams exercising extreme caution when using products or treatments. Sinner's case adds to a series of recent doping incidents in tennis, including Simona Halep, a two-time major winner, who had her four-year doping ban reduced to nine months after testing positive for a banned substance at the 2022 U.S. Open. Halep claimed that she had unintentionally ingested the substance, roxadustat, through contaminated nutritional supplements.

As the world’s top-ranked player, Sinner was already expected to draw significant attention at the upcoming US Open, which begins on 26 August. However, the doping case has added further scrutiny, particularly following his victory in a key US Open warm-up event in Cincinnati.

The situation has sparked reactions from notable figures in the tennis community. Seven-time major winner and ESPN analyst John McEnroe expressed his surprise, particularly regarding the timing of the incident. "It’s certainly surprising and shocking, especially when it happened in March," McEnroe remarked. He questioned the inconsistencies in doping rulings, wondering how different cases are handled when athletes claim unawareness of banned substances.

Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios strongly criticised the decision, stating on social media platform X, "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."

The main draw of the US Open is set to commence on 26 August, with Sinner expected to face intense scrutiny in light of recent events.