Sinner or Saint? Tennis Star’s Doping Case Reopened

According to the ATP Rankings, Jannik Sinner is the world number one. He is currently facing an appeal against his doping case from August. If found guilty, he could face a lengthy ban from tennis, a sport that has seen more than its fair share of drug-related scandals in recent years.

In March, Sinner tested positive on two separate occasions for low quantities of the banned substance clostebol both during and after the Indian Wells Open. Sinner claims that the ingestion was merely an accident which occurred when his physio Giacomo Naldi used a spray containing the testosterone derivative to treat a cut on his finger. This story satisfied the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), whicho decided against banning the Italian from competition. Although he was cleared to play, he was stripped of the prize money and ranking points he earned from reaching the semi-finals of the competition. The saga, however, is far from over for Sinner, as the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) announced two weeks ago that they would be appealing the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The Court seeks to ban Sinner from competitive play for up to two years. Sinner said he was “very disappointed” to hear of the appeal levelled against him. WADA is not disputing his story, but they do feel that, to an extent, he is responsible for the presence of the banned substance in his system.

Though WADA may accept Sinner’s alibi, fellow professional player Nick Kyrgios has typically been outspoken on the matter. The Australian, who is due to return to tennis in 2025, took to X to repost a number of comments regarding the case. One particular comment emphasised that Sinner’s trainer Umberto Ferrara also worked with Filippo Volandri, who was banned for three months in 2009 for failing a drug test. Another post likened Sinner to infamous cycling doper Lance Armstrong. Andy Roddick, however, was quick to back Sinner, stating in an interview: “I don’t believe [Sinner] is an idiot. I don’t think he is consciously going to do something that does enhance performance to risk legacy, reputation, time, chance at Slams, et cetera.” Fans are also divided on this scandal, but the overall consensus from the community seems to be that ‘Jan the Fox’ is a guilty man.

If Sinner were to be banned, the 23-year-old would miss out on crucial years of his career, as he is fast approaching the age where athletes tend to reach their peak performance. Even if Sinner is cleared to play, the exhausting legal processes emburdening him could go on for months. Along with the deducted prize money and points, it seems an enormous price to pay for someone who may still be cleared of all charges. Worse yet for the world number one, CAS has a reputation for overturning decisions: just last week, footballer Paul Pogba had his doping ban reduced from four years to eighteen months following an appeal. Whatever the eventual outcome, this tumultuous ordeal is not how Sinner would have liked to celebrate being the end-of-year world number one for the first time in his career.

Image from WikiCommons