The PTPA’s executive director has asserted that Jannik Sinner was “treated unfairly” by an “illegal” doping program while defending the organization’s use of the world No. 1’s case in its lawsuit.
On Tuesday, the PTPA confirmed it had taken legal action against the ATP, WTA, International Tennis Federation (ITF), and International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) in a sweeping lawsuit addressing multiple issues.
A key focus of the 163-page legal filing was Sinner’s recent doping case. The Italian star is currently serving a three-month suspension after twice testing positive for the banned steroid clostebol in March 2024. The ITIA initially ruled in August 2024 that Sinner bore “no fault or negligence,” allowing him to compete in the U.S. Open, which he went on to win. However, following a legal challenge involving the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), a settlement was reached in February 2025, resulting in Sinner’s current suspension.
The PTPA’s lawsuit strongly criticized the handling of Sinner’s case, and some have accused the organization of indirectly questioning why the Italian did not contest the ATP’s role in the matter. The legal document stated:
“The ITIA proved in August 2024 that its heavy-handed approach is arbitrary and selective. That month, the ITIA announced that Jannik Sinner, the top-ranked player on the ATP Tour, had twice tested positive for a banned anabolic steroid earlier that season.
Unlike its dogged pursuit of other players, however, it accepted Sinner’s explanation that his physical therapist had accidentally applied a banned substance to his skin during treatment.
As a result, the ITIA concluded that Sinner bore ‘no fault or negligence’ and permitted him to compete in the 2024 U.S. Open, which Sinner won.
There was no prolonged investigation into a high-profile player who had not spoken out against the cartel.”
In an interview with Ubitennis, PTPA executive director Ahmad Nassar defended Sinner, arguing that he was also a victim of a flawed system that needs reform.
“I’ve been consistent and clear on Jannik’s case,” Nassar stated. “He was treated unfairly by an out-of-control, illegal, and not-fit-for-purpose anti-doping program.
“At the same time, others have pointed out that he seems to have been treated less unfairly than many other players. But the solution isn’t to treat him more unfairly, nor to subject others to the same unfair treatment. The goal is fairness for all players.
“If someone is found to be not at fault by both the ITIA and WADA, how is it possible that the case still took nearly a year to resolve and resulted in a three-month suspension? The system is broken and must change.”
Sinner has yet to publicly comment on his case being used in the PTPA’s lawsuit. He is expected to return to competition at the Italian Open, which begins on May 7—just days after his suspension ends on May 4.
Meanwhile, world No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz has expressed concerns after learning that comments he made about the tennis schedule were referenced in the lawsuit without his knowledge.
The document cited a remark Alcaraz made last year, in which he claimed the ATP calendar was designed to “kill us.” However, the Spaniard has since distanced himself from the lawsuit.
“Yesterday, I saw on social media that they included something I said in a press conference—something I didn’t know about,” Alcaraz stated. “Honestly, I don’t support that letter. I don’t support it because I wasn’t informed. There are some things I agree with, and some I don’t.
“The main thing here is that I’m not supporting it.”
