Jannik Sinner, the Australian Open champion, has agreed to a three-month suspension following a settlement with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). This comes after WADA contested the International Tennis Integrity Agency’s (ITIA) previous ruling not to suspend him due to accidental contamination with a banned anabolic steroid, Clostebol, last March. Sinner maintained that the trace amounts found in his sample resulted from a massage by a trainer who had used the substance.
Sinner, now 23 years old, expressed relief at the resolution, acknowledging his responsibility for his team and the importance of WADA’s strict regulations for maintaining the integrity of tennis. The agreed suspension will last from February 9 to May 4, allowing him to participate in upcoming tournaments, including the French Open starting on May 25 and potentially the Italian Open in Rome on May 7.
His lawyer, Jamie Singer, remarked on Sinner’s innocence, confirming that he had no intent or knowledge of the substance and received no unfair advantage. The suspension allows Sinner to move on from a year-long situation that had loomed over him, highlighting the mistakes made by his team that led to this incident.