The World Anti-Doping Agency does not accept the decision of the responsible tennis agency and is demanding a ban for Jannik Sinner. Now the International Court of Arbitration for Sport has to decide.
Italian tennis star Jannik Sinner still faces a ban despite being acquitted after two positive doping tests. The World Anti-Doping Agency Wada announced that it had lodged an appeal in the case with the Cas International Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lausanne last Thursday.
World number one Sinner tested positive twice for the banned anabolic steroid Clostebol in March. The 23-year-old did not receive a ban. The responsible tennis agency Itia justified the acquittal by saying that the two-time Grand Slam tournament winner could not be proven to have acted intentionally or negligently.
According to WADA, this statement is “not correct according to the applicable rules”. WADA, based in Montreal, Canada, is therefore calling for “a ban of one to two years” for Sinner. However, the authority does not require any additional deletion of results in addition to those that have already been ordered by the court of first instance. Sinner won the US Open at the beginning of September.
Victory in Beijing despite the hustle and bustle
In terms of sport, Sinner was not impressed by the news. In the round of 16 of the ATP tournament in Beijing, after initial problems, he won against the Russian Roman Safiullin 3:6, 6:2, 6:3. With his 57th win of the season, he drew level with leader Alexander Zverev in this ranking.
“I tried to be mentally up to speed, which was very difficult today,” Sinner said afterwards. He didn’t feel 100 percent comfortable, but he raised his level “when it counted.” Sinner was not asked about the Wada objection in the ATP interview on the pitch.
How does Italy’s sports star explain himself?
Sinner explained in a statement that he published on social networks that the substance entered his body through the hands of his physiotherapist. Accordingly, the carer used a spray containing Clostebol, which is available without a prescription in Italy, to treat a cut on his finger.
According to Itia, scientific experts found Sinner’s explanation to be credible. That’s why the tennis agency refrained from suspending Sinner, at least temporarily. This caused a lack of understanding within the tennis scene.
Source: Stern
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