Jannik Sinner accepts 3-month ban in doping settlement

World No.1 Jannik Sinner, on Saturday, accepted a three-month ban in a doping settlement with the World Anti-Doping Agency. The Italian said the case had been hanging over him for almost a year and thus there was mental pressure on him.

Sinner recently won the Australian Open, which is the third Slam of his young career. 

Meanwhile, trace amounts of Clostebol were found in Sinner’s doping sample. However, Sinner explained that it was due to a massage from a trainer who used the substance after cutting his own finger.

International Tennis Integrity Agency had accepted Sinner’s explanation but WADA was seeking to ban the Italian for at least a year.

“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,” Sinner, who won the Australian Open in January, said in a statement. “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 Montreal-based WADA had originally appealed the ITIA’s ruling to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne, Switzerland. It has formally withdrawn the appeal.

“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,” it said in Saturday’s announcement.

“However,” the WADA statement continued, “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.”

After serving his ban, Sinner will be able to take part in the Roland Garros, which would kick off on 25th May.