Sinner doping ban deal ‘best choice in bad moment’

Thursday, 8 May 2025 02:41 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Jannik Sinner

Jannik Sinner, the reigning Australian Open and US Open champion, said it was ‘good news’ for him personally not to miss any Grand Slam tournaments during his three-month doping ban.

World number one Sinner accepted the ban in February after reaching a settlement with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) over his two positive tests last year.

His ban expired at midnight on Sunday, meaning he is able to compete at his home tournament – the Italian Open – in Rome this week.

“Of course when you go to court it can go both ways – nothing or a lot,” the 23-year-old told a packed interview room at the Foro Italico.

“I didn’t want to do it (agree a settlement) in the beginning, so it was not easy for me to accept it because I know what really happened.

“But sometimes we have to choose the best in a very bad moment, and that’s what we did. “For me personally it’s good news that there are not the Grand Slams included.”

Sinner has a first-round bye in Rome and will play either Argentina’s world number 99 Mariano Navone or 18-year-old Italian wildcard Federico Cina on Saturday.

Sinner had previously been cleared of any wrongdoing by an independent panel after testing positive for the banned substance clostebol in March 2024.

WADA lodged an appeal against that decision with the Court of Arbitration for Sport, saying at the time it was seeking a “period of ineligibility of between one and two years.”

WADA ultimately entered into negotiations with Sinner’s legal team having come to the conclusion a ban of that length would constitute an “unduly harsh sanction.”

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