By Richard Pagliaro | @Tennis_Now | Saturday, February 15, 2025
World No. 1 Jannik Sinner has accepted a three-month suspension that will sideline him until May 5th to settle his doping case.
Photo credit: Clive Brunskill/Getty
WADA has settled Jannik Sinner's doping case.
World No. 1 Sinner has accepted a three-month suspension that will ban him from tennis from February 9-May 4th to settle the case, the World Anti-Doping Agency announced today.
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Under the terms of the agreement, Sinner will serve his suspension from February 9th to 11:59 pm on May 4th, 2025.
"As per the Code Article 10.14.2, Mr. Sinner may return to official training activity from April 13th," WADA announced.
In a statement, Sinner said he accepts the suspension
"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 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.”
Last March, Sinner twice tested positive for the banned steroid clostebol in "low levels" the International Tennis Integrity Agency announced in August days before the start of the US Open.
Two-time Australian Open champion Sinner was not suspended and permitted to play because an independent tribunal ruled he was at "no fault" for the steroid contamination in his system.
That decision prompted WADA to appeal the case—and seek a one to two year ban.
Today's resolution means Sinner will miss the Sunshine Double—he is reigning Miami Open champion—as well as Masters events in Monte-Carlo and Madrid.
However, the three-time Grand Slam champion will not miss any major and will be eligible to return to action in Rome in May. That's important because the calendar Grand Slam is in play for Sinner.
Roland Garros, the next Grand Slam on the 2025 schedule, is set to start May 25th, which will provide Sinner with the opportunity to play red-clay tournaments in preparation for Paris. During Sinner's suspension, No. 2 Alexander Zverev will likely rise to world No. 1.
In announcing the resolution, WADA announced it "accepts Mr. Sinner did not intend to cheat."
"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," WADA announced. "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.
"The International Tennis Federation and International Tennis Integrity Agency, both co-respondents to WADA’s CAS appeal, neither of which appealed the first-instance decision, both accepted the case resolution agreement. "
The owner of 19 titles, Sinner adamantly denies doping or cheating.
In an interview with AFP in December, WADA Director Niggli said even if Sinner's story of contamination is true, he still should bear some responsibility and suspension for his positive test. That's why WADA appealed Sinner's case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, Niggli said.
“It was considered in the decision that there was no fault on the part of Sinner. Our position is that there is still a responsibility of the athlete in relation to his entourage,” Niggli told AFP. “So it is this legal point that will be debated (before CAS).
"We do not dispute the fact that it could have been a contamination. But we believe that the application of the rules does not correspond to the case law."
Solidifying his status as hard-court king, Sinner shredded Alexander Zverev 6-3, 7-6(4), 6-3 In last month's Australian Open final successfully defending his AO championship with command.
It was Sinner’s career-best 21st consecutive victory—he has not lost since bowing to Carlos Alcaraz in the Beijing final last fall—and his 21st straight Grand Slam hard-court victory.
"Well, it was an amazing performance from my side. I felt like I was in the beginning of the match serving really well and trying to get into the zone very fast," Sinner told the media in Melbourne. "It was a very high-quality from my side. Second set, got a bit lucky in the tiebreak, as we saw.
"All things considered, amazing run again here in Australia. I'm extremely happy. Sharing this with the team here and family and the people I love, it's amazing."
Sinner, who was scheduled to headline a Las Vegas exhibition March 1-2nd, will still ride that career-best 21-match winning streak on his return in May.
This decision has already elicited reaction from fellow pros.
Do you believe it's a fair resolution?