The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against an independent tribunal’s decision to clear world number one Jannik Sinner of wrongdoing after he failed drug tests.
WADA’s appeal stems from the tribunal’s finding that Sinner bore “no fault or negligence” for the presence of a metabolite of clostebol in his system. The agency contends that this finding is incorrect under the applicable rules and is seeking a period of ineligibility of between one and two years for the Italian tennis star.
Sinner provided an in-competition sample at the Indian Wells Masters on March 10, 2024, which contained low levels of the metabolite. A further sample, conducted eight days later out of competition, also tested positive for low levels of the same metabolite.
The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) initially ruled that Sinner was not at fault for the positive tests, explaining that the substance had entered his system through contamination from a support team member who had been applying an over-the-counter spray containing clostebol to their own skin.
However, WADA believes that the tribunal’s decision was flawed and that Sinner should be held responsible for the presence of the banned substance in his system. The agency’s appeal to CAS will seek to overturn the tribunal’s ruling and impose a period of ineligibility on Sinner.
If WADA’s appeal is successful, Sinner could face a significant suspension from tennis. The 21-year-old has enjoyed a meteoric rise in the sport, winning the Australian Open and the U.S. Open this year. A suspension would derail his promising career and cast a shadow over his achievements.
The outcome of WADA’s appeal will be closely watched by the tennis world and the wider sporting community. It will set a precedent for how anti-doping cases are handled in the future and could have implications for other athletes who test positive for banned substances.
