A spray with the forbidden agent Clostebol in it, which he unintentionally got on his body through a massage by his physiotherapist: Jannik Sinner’s explanation was after he had taken a positive doping test twice last year. Clostebol is an anabolic steroid that is on the list of prohibited agents worldwide.
This initially did not seem to have major consequences for Sinner. The International Agency for the Integrity of the Tennis (ITIA) went with Sinners Explanation after thorough research. Also according to an independent tribunal, the Italian did not fault. But the Wada doping venue appealed to the International Sports Tribunal (CAS) in Switzerland, and wanted to demand suspension for one to two years. The hearing was planned for April. But it doesn’t come that far: because Sinner accepts three months of suspension, Wada is pulling the profession again.
Because of his suspension, the best tennis player in the world now misses the tournaments of Doha, Indian Wells and Miami, Monte Carlo and Madrid. But what is much more important: Sinner does not have to miss any Grand Slam. After his comeback at the ATP tournament of Rome, he can still participate in Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open.
Italian relief
The relief is great in Sinners home country. All the while, Italy remained behind its general public favorite, and critical voices sounded very sporadically. Even now. Angelo Binaghi, the chairman of the Italian tennis federation, speaks of “a shameful injustice, and the end of a nightmare.” The settlement that Sinner reached with WADA interprets the federation chairman as proof that the Italian “is absolutely not guilty, and can now finally plan his future.” The next appointment, according to Binaghi, is on 7 May, at the ATP tournament in Rome, where the whole of Italy will welcome him as a hero.
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“Wada accepts that Jannik Sinner did not intend to commit deceit and that his exposure to Clostebol had no performance -increasing effect, and without his knowledge happened, as a result of the negligence by members of his entourage,” writes the anti -doping agency in a statement. But the athlete is responsible for the carelessness of his entourage, says the WADA. “Based on the unique facts in this case, a three -month suspension seems to be an appropriate outcome.”
Own responsibility
“I accept that I am responsible for my team,” the Italian tennis player responds. “And I also understand that the Wada rules serve to protect my beloved sport.”
According to Vincent Egbers, chairman of the Dutch Doping Authority, Sinner recognizes this, a good thing. “If such a substance is in your urine, it is up to the athlete to explain why. That is the basic principle of anti -doping controls. ” Athletes know they have to be careful, says Egbers. For example, that they should not order meat in a restaurant in China, because there can be hormones in it. According to Egbers, the amount of Clostebol may be very small, “it is a forbidden tool worldwide. I do not rule out the fact that an permitted minimum value will ever be determined for certain means, but as long as it is not there, these are the rules. ”
The Sinner case was very loaded emotionally from the start. There were ‘believers‘, that Sinner continued to support thick and thin, but also great skeptics. They now react disappointed, or even angry. According to former tennis player Tim Henman, the three-month suspension unpacks “too favorable” for Sinner. “It leaves a sour taste for the sport,” the former British number one told Sky Sports. The Australian former top tennis player Nick Kyrgios goes one step further. “A sad day before tennis. Honesty in tennis does not exist ”, written Kyrgios on X. The pronounced Australian had already expressed a good time in December about the doping issues of Sinner and the Polish player Iga Swiatek.
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Preferred treatment
Some, including Kyrgios, now suggest that Sinner has received a preferred treatment because of his number 1 status. Would the number 100 in the world also come off with ‘only’ three months of suspension? According to sports lawyer Michiel van Dijk, who assisted different athletes in doping matters, you can first ask another question: Would the Wada appeal to the number 100 in the world? “Wada does not have the means to take that step at every case. Precisely because it is Sinner, such a profession also generates a lot of publicity. In addition, the risk of litigation for the WADA is also enormous – in such a case they want to lose absolutely no risk. That’s how they end up at a settlement. “
Both Sinner and Wada did not go to the limit in this profession. The WADA risked face loss, Sinner wanted clarity quickly. After all, the outcome of the case at the CAS was uncertain, and is now gone. “The result of that negotiation is a relatively mild punishment,” says Van Dijk. “But I don’t believe that Sinner got a different treatment during the profession. That is very clinical and according to strict rules, regardless of which athlete it is. “
Vincent Egbers, the chairman of the Doping Authority, also does not feel that Sinner was given a preferred treatment. “Wada did not drop the case, but appealed,” he emphasizes. “In addition, this month -long affair has probably also had a psychological impact on the athlete. This outcome is better for both WADA and Sinner himself. ”
According to the chairman of the Doping Authority, the Sinner case serves a higher goal. “This remembers the athlete himself, and at the same time the entire tennis world again that the athletes themselves bear the final responsibility for what happens to their bodies. So this was not for nothing. “