Sinner banned for three months, effective now until Rome Masters

Jannik Sinner has been banned from tennis for the next three months, it was announced on Saturday. The suspension is effective dating back to February 9 and will run through May 4.

Sinner twice tested positive for an anabolic steroid in March of last year, but at first he did not receive any kind of suspension because an independent panel “determined a finding of No Fault or Negligence applied in the case, resulting in no period of ineligibility.” Additionally, the International Tennis Integrity Agency said that it “did not oppose the player’s appeals to lift the provisional suspension” and that “the violation was not intentional.”

The top-ranked Italian was reportedly contaminated with low levels of a metabolite of clostebol, a banned anabolic steroid that can be used for ophthalmological and dermatological use. It allegedly occurred during a massage therapy session after the person working on Sinner had used a spray on his own hands to treat a cut.

Sinner’s positive tests came on March 10–during the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells–and March 18. The 23-year-old forfeit both his ranking points and prize money from Indian Wells, but he appeared to avoid additional punishment until WADA appealed and brought a case against Sinner that had been scheduled two months from now in mid-April. Instead, a resolution came on Saturday.

Both WADA and Sinner issued statements.

WADA:

“WADA accepts the athlete’s explanation for the cause of the violation as outlined in the first instance decision. WADA accepts that Mr. Sinner did not intend to cheat, and that his exposure to Clostebol did not provide any performance-enhancing benefit and took place without his knowledge as the result of negligence of members of his entourage.

“However, under the code and by virtue of CAS precedent, an athlete bears responsibility for the entourage’s negligence. Based on the unique set of facts of this case, a three-month suspension is deemed to be an appropriate outcome. As previously stated, WADA did not seek a disqualification of any results, save that which was previously imposed by the tribunal of first instance.”

Sinner:

“This case had been hanging over me now for nearly a year and the process still had a long time to run with a decision maybe only at the end of the year. I have always accepted that I am responsible for my team and realize WADA’s strict rules are an important protection for the sport I love. On that basis I have accepted WADA’s offer to resolve these proceedings on the basis of a three-month sanction.”

The reigning Australian Open and U.S. Open champion can return at the Internazionali BNL d’Italia, which begins on May 7.

Italian Tennis and Padel Federation president Angelo Binaghi called WADA’s case “a shameful injustice” but added that the ban of a relatively minor length will be “the end of a nightmare” for Sinner. Binaghi argued that the ruling “demonstrates Jannik’s innocence” and that “all of Italy” will welcome him back at the Rome Masters.