The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) announced on Saturday, September 28, that it had appealed the case of world number one tennis player Jannik Sinner, acquitted by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (Itia) after testing positive twice for clostebol, a drug forbidden. substance, in March.
In its press release, the organization “considers that the conclusion of absence of fault or negligence was not correct according to the applicable standards” and, consequently, “WADA requests a suspension period of one to two years” for the Italian player, without these results since his positive tests, including his victory at the US Open, were annulled.
“This case is pending before the CAS [Tribunal arbitral du sport]WADA will have no further comment at this time.specifies the text.
The Montreal-based agency indicated on September 10 that it had not yet decided whether or not it would appeal the tennis player’s non-suspension, with the file being “still under study”.
Jannik Sinner suffered two positive doping tests in March eight days apart: on March 10 during the Indian Wells tournament and on March 18 out of competition, but just before the Miami tournament. Traces of clostebol (anabolic) were found in his urine.
The Italian defended himself by explaining that he had suffered “Contamination by a member of your staff, who had applied an over-the-counter spray containing clostebol to his own hand to treat a small injury”according to the International Tennis Integrity Agency (Itia), which accepted his defense and officially acquitted him at the end of August.
The player, who won the first Grand Slam tournament of his career in January in Melbourne, lost ATP points and earnings from the tournament in which the positive test was recorded.
Three weeks ago Sinner became the first world number one to win at Flushing Meadows among men since Rafael Nadal in 2017, and the first Italian to lift the trophy in New York.
Itia’s decision to shut out the Italian provoked indignant reactions from some players, including Australian Nick Kyrgios and Frenchman Lucas Pouille.
Before the US Open, Sinner had separated from his physiotherapist Giacomo Naldi, who was believed to have unintentionally contaminated him, and his fitness trainer, Umberto Ferrara, who had provided Naldi with the incriminated spray.
