Jannik Sinner has reluctantly agreed to a three-month suspension following “tricky” negotiations with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
The world No. 1, who clinched the Australian Open title last month, is banned until May 4 after testing positive for the prohibited substance clostebol twice in 2024. While the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) initially chose not to penalize him, WADA sought a two-year ban.
Despite acknowledging that Sinner had no intent to cheat and that the substance provided no performance-enhancing benefits, WADA still pursued disciplinary action against the 23-year-old Italian. However, an agreement was reached to impose a reduced three-month suspension, allowing Sinner to return in time for the French Open. As a result, WADA has dropped its appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
The resolution was finalized on February 14, following a lengthy discussion between Sinner’s legal team and WADA’s top legal representatives.
“It all happened unbelievably quickly,” Sinner told BBC Sport. “In a matter of a couple of days, really.”
WADA had been negotiating with Sinner’s camp for months, having made two prior settlement offers that were swiftly rejected. Sinner’s lawyer, Jamie Singer, admitted that persuading his client to accept a suspension was challenging.
“When I suggested settling for three months, his response was, ‘Why would we do that if the first tribunal ruled no ban at all?'” Singer explained.
“My advice was that one never knows what could happen at a hearing. WADA was pushing for a year-long ban, and if we didn’t accept their offer, they could take it to court and potentially secure an even longer suspension. In my view, three months was the best option available.”
Had the case gone to CAS, the possible outcomes were either a suspension exceeding one year or Sinner being completely cleared.
Despite agreeing that Sinner was “a million miles away from doping,” WADA secured its 67th settlement deal, facing criticism for allowing him to compete in all Grand Slams.
“This case was far from intentional doping,” said WADA’s general counsel, Ross Wanzel.
“The scientific evidence indicated that this was not a case of deliberate doping or micro-dosing. We weren’t convinced that forcing a tribunal into a harsh 12-month sanction—or issuing no penalty at all—would be the right course of action. One would have compromised an important principle under the code, while the other would have been excessively punitive.”
With the suspension set to expire before Roland Garros, Sinner will soon be back on court, though the controversy surrounding the case is likely to linger.
