‘ATP president is Italian and as luck would have it, Jannik Sinner will resume in Rome’ – Wimbledon winner

Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli has raised concerns over Jannik Sinner’s doping suspension, admitting she finds it “hard to understand” the decision.

The former world No. 7 suggested that it was a convenient coincidence that Sinner’s ban will end just in time for the Rome tournament, highlighting the fact that ATP president Andrea Gaudenzi is Italian.

On Saturday, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) confirmed that Sinner had been suspended for three months after failing two doping tests in March 2024.

Earlier in the year, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) decided that Sinner would not serve a ban, finding that he had no fault or negligence after testing positive for clostebol, an anabolic steroid, during the 2023 Indian Wells Masters.

Sinner explained that the substance entered his body during a massage with his former physio, Giacomo Naldi, who had used a spray containing the steroid to treat a cut on his finger. An independent tribunal accepted this explanation.

However, WADA appealed the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in September, seeking a ban of between one and two years. The appeal was scheduled to be heard in April, but WADA and Sinner’s legal team reached an agreement for him to serve a suspension from February 9 to May 4.

As a result, Sinner will miss the Qatar Open ATP 500 event and several Masters 1000 tournaments in Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, and Madrid. However, he will not miss any Grand Slam events and will be eligible to compete at the Italian Open, which begins just three days after his ban ends.

Bartoli expressed doubts about the outcome of the case while speaking on RMC Sport. “He was initially facing a much more severe suspension, with talk of a potential two-year ban,” the Frenchwoman said. “The experts described it as unintentional doping, but where I have trouble understanding this decision is the case law at CAS, which typically results in longer bans for negligence.”

She also pointed out the timing of Sinner’s return, noting, “The president of the ATP is Italian, and as luck would have it, he’ll be back in Rome… When you put everything together, you wonder if there’s something more to it.”

While admitting she didn’t have all the facts, Bartoli concluded, “I’m not in a position to question the decision, but I do find it hard to form an opinion.”