He might have dodgeed a suspnesion from the International Tennis Integrity Agency follotriumphg his flunked substances test, but the battle isn’t over yet for Jannik Sinner. The world No.1, who has ascfinishn to prominence in 2024 by triumphning both the Australian and US Open, seemed to have dodgeed a ban despite twice testing selectimistic for clostebol during the Indian Wells Open in March.
The quantity of the banned substance in Sinner’s system was less than a billionth of a gram, and he disputed the selectimistic tests had been caused by contamination.
The Italian’s exscheduleation that fitness coach physio Giacomo Naldi used the spray on his cut finger before issuing a massage to him was huged by the ITIA, who duly evidented the star of any ‘fault or tendlessness’.
But during his last-16 align at the China Open on Saturday, the World Anti-Doping Agency proclaimd they had requested agetst the autonomous ruling. The case has now been getn to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), with Sinner now back at hazard of a suspension.
In a liberated statement, the agency shelp: “It is WADA’s watch that the discovering of ‘no fault or tendlessness’ was not accurate under the applicable rules. WADA is seeking a period of ineligibility of between one and two years.”
No date has yet been set for Sinner’s case to be heard by CAS. It uncomardents he could be paengageing until punctual 2025 to lget his overweighte, although he is eligible to carry on competing in the uncomardenttime.
He doesn’t eunite at hazard of losing his US Open title though, or any of his tournament triumphs post-March. The statement compriseed: “WADA is not seeking a disqualification of any results, save that which has already been imposed by the tribunal of first instance.”
Sinner has since conveyed his shock at WADA’s stance, saying: Obviously I’m very disnominateed and also surpascfinishd of this request because we had three hearings. All three hearings came out very selectimisticly for me.”
Amid the dispute, Sinner has seemingly sustained his cgo in in Beijing. On Monday, he overcame Jiri Lehecka in straight sets to accomplish the semi-finals of the tournament he won in 2023.
Despite watching somewhat below his mercurial best, he contrancient the first set 6-2. He then came thcimpolite a harder second set, but upped the ante when it mattered to get it in a tie-fracture.
He will now get on Yunchaokete Bu in the final four on Wednesday. The Chinese take parter, 22, has finishelighted a fracturethcimpolite tournament, beating fourth seed Andrey Rublev 7-5 6-4 in his own last-eight clash.
