Best -classified tennis player Jannik sinner Accepted a three -month ban in a regulation with the World Anti -Doping Agency and said on Saturday that the agreement ended a case that “exceeded” from its two positive doping tests almost a year ago.
Wada, who sought to ban the triple champion of the Grand Slam of sport for at least a year, challenged a decision last year by the International Tennis Integrity Agency do not suspend the sinner Because what ITIA judged was accidental contamination by an anabolic steroid prohibited last March.
The explanation of Sinner – that traces of clostebol in his doping sample were due to a massage of a coach who used the substance after having cut his own finger – had been accepted.
Timing means that the 23 -year -old Italian will not miss any Grand Chelem tournament. The French Open, the next major of the season, begins on May 25.
“This affair had been suspended from me now for almost a year and the process still had a lot of time running with a decision perhaps only at the end of the year”, Sinner, who won the Australian Open In January, said in a statement. “I have always admitted that I am responsible for my team and that I realize that the strict AMA rules are an important protection for the sport that I like. On this basis, I accepted Wada’s offer to resolve these procedures on the basis of a three -month sanction. “
Vincent Thian / AP
The Wada based in Montreal had appealed the ITIA decision before the Sport Arbitration Court in Lausanne, Switzerland. He officially removed the call.
“Wada accepts the explanation of the athlete to the cause of the violation as described in the decision at first instance. Wada accepts that Mr. Sinner did not intend to cheat and that his exposure to Clostebol did not Provided no advantage in terms of improving performance and took place without place without place without place without place without place without place without place without place without place without place without place without place without place without place without place without location Without a place without place without location without location without location without location without location without location without location without place without location without location without location without location without location without location without location without location without place without place without place without location Without a place without place without place without place without taking place without taking place without taking place without taking place without taking place without taking place without taking place without taking place without taking place without taking place without taking place without taking place without taking place without taking place without taking place Without taking place without taking place without taking place without taking place without having. His knowledge because of the negligence of those around him, “he said in the announcement on Saturday.
“However,” The AMA Declaration Following, “under the code and under the previous case, an athlete is responsible for the negligence of the entourage. On the basis of the single set of facts in this case, a three -month suspension is considered a result Appropriate.
Adada added that the International Tennis Federation and Itia, “both co-replying to the call of the AMA case, which did not appeal the decision of first instance, both accepted the ‘Case resolution agreement “.
The ATP tour underlined the AMA confirmation that the sinner “had no intention of raping the anti -doping rules and gained any competitive advantage”.
“This case is an important reminder of the players’ responsibility to carefully manage the products and the treatments they or their entourage use,” added the director organ in a statement on Saturday.
Friday, Sinner published a Video on Instagram From himself to Doha at the Qatar Open, which is starting next week. He also had to play in an exhibition in Las Vegas next month.
The suspension is from February 9 to May 4.
Sinner could return to his home tournament, the Italian Open in Rome, which begins on May 7.
The Italian President of Tennis and the Padel Federation, Angelo Binaghi, noted that if the case was “a shameful injustice”, the ban will mark “the end of a nightmare” for the sinner.
Binaghi adds that the colony “demonstrates the innocence of Jannik” and that “all of Italy” will welcome it to the Italian Open.
ITIA said it has recognized the rules, but in its declaration on Saturday reiterated that “we were convinced that the player had established the source of the prohibited substance and that the violation was involuntary. Today’s result supports this observation “.
The lawyer based in London from Sinner, Jamie Singer, said: “I am delighted that Jannik can finally put this painful experience behind him. Wada confirmed the facts determined by the independent court. It is clear that Jannik had no intention, no knowledge and acquired no competitive advantage.
The treatment of the Sinner case had raised questions about standard doubles. The positive tests were only publicly revealed until August because Sinner managed to call on the prohibition temporarily to play. He then won the US Open in September. Novak Djokovic said he had agreed that there was “a lack of consistency”.
At the end of November, five -part major champion IGA Swiatek accepted a one -month suspension After having tested positive for the prohibited substance Trimétazidine. Swiatek, the world No. 2, failed a drug screening test in August, and the ITIA accepted its explanation that it was not intentional.
In the single classification, Sinner currently leads the n ° 2 Alexander Zverev of 3,695 points.
Sinner should lose 1,600 points due to the prohibition: 1,000 points of his Miami open title last March; 400 points of the attack on the semi-finals of Monte Carters last April; and 200 points by reaching the quarter -finals of Madrid Open.
If Zverev wins several titles while Sinner is released, the German could take control of the classification n ° 1.
