The World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) appeal against the decision to clear Jannik Sinner of wrongdoing in his doping case will be heard by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in April.
Sinner, twice a Grand Slam champion in 2024, tested positive in March last year for the anabolic steroid clostebol, before being cleared in August by an independent tribunal who determined he was not to blame.
But WADA appealed against that decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in September and is seeking a ban of between one and two years for the Italian.
On Friday, CAS confirmed the hearing will be heard on April 16 and 17.
‘I haven’t done anything wrong’ – Sinner hits back at critics
In a case presented by the ITIA, a tribunal accepted Sinner’s explanation that the banned substance entered his body as a result of a massage from his physiotherapist, who had used a spray containing the steroid to treat a cut on their finger.
Sinner subsequently fired physio Giacomo Naldi and his trainer Umberto Ferrara, who had supplied Naldi with the over-the-counter spray.
Though Sinner was required to forfeit his 400 ranking points from Indian Wells – and prize money of $325,000 – he was able to continue competing and went on to win the US Open in September, adding to the Australian Open title he won at the start of the year.
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Nick Kyrgios attended his first press conference before returning to Brisbane, where he discussed the doping cases involving Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek.
In December, Nick Kyrgios labelled the doping-related charges against Jannik Sinner and women’s No 2 Iga Swiatek – who accepted a one-month suspension in November after testing positive for the banned substance trimetazidine – as “disgusting” and a “horrible look” for tennis.
Speaking on Friday ahead of the defence of his Australian Open title, Sinner reiterated his innocence and hit back at criticism from the likes of Kyrgios.
“How do I block it? It’s not that you just put it in a part and you just say, I don’t think anymore about this, but in my mind, I know exactly what happened,” the Italian said.
“And that’s how I block it. No, I don’t, I haven’t done anything wrong. That’s why I’m still here. And that’s why I’m still playing.
“I don’t want to respond on what Nick said or what the other players say.
“I think the the most important part is to have my people around me who I can trust. People they exactly know what happened. And that’s it.”
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A look at the best and biggest moments of Jannik Sinner from 2024, which saw the Italian finish way ahead in the world rankings.
What WADA said when it appealed
Announcing its appeal, WADA said: “It is WADA’s view that the finding of ‘no fault or negligence’ was not correct under the applicable rules.
“WADA is seeking a period of ineligibility of between one and two years. WADA is not seeking a disqualification of any results, save that which has already been imposed by the tribunal of first instance.”
Sinner said he had been “disappointed” and “surprised” by WADA’s appeal.
A statement from the International Tennis Integrity Agency at the time said: “The ITIA acknowledges the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) decision to appeal the ruling of no fault or negligence in the case of Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner, issued by an independent tribunal appointed by Sport Resolutions on August 19, 2024.
“Under the terms of the World Anti-Doping Code, WADA has the final right to appeal all such decisions.
“Having reached an agreed set of facts following a thorough investigative process, the case was referred to a tribunal entirely independent of the ITIA to determine level of fault and therefore sanction because of the unique set of circumstances, and lack of comparable precedent.
“The process was run according to world anti-doping code guidelines. However, the ITIA acknowledges and respects WADA’s right to appeal the independent tribunal’s decision in the Court of Arbitration for Sport.”
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Sinner reflected on the investigation that took place into his positive tests for a banned substance when he spoke to Sky Sports Tennis at the US Open
‘Ridiculous’ – how tennis world initially responded
Sinner, 23, has maintained his innocence since the case was made public, arguing the amount of clostebol found in his system was less than a billionth of a gram.
A statement released on his behalf in August said he “knew nothing” of the violation.
“Jannik knew nothing of this, and his physiotherapist did not know that he was using a product containing clostebol,” the statement read.
“The physiotherapist treated Jannik without gloves and coupled with various skin lesions on Jannik’s body caused the inadvertent contamination.”
But the decision to clear him came in for strong criticism in the run-up to the US Open, with some players citing perceived inconsistencies.
Kyrios, Denis Shapovalov and Liam Broady all took to social media when the announcement was first made in August.
Kyrios called the decision ‘ridiculous,’ while both Shapovalov and Broady voiced opinions that other players would have received different outcome.
“Ridiculous – whether it was accidental or planned. You get tested twice with a banned (steroid) substance… you should be gone for 2 years. Your performance was enhanced. Massage cream…. Yeah nice,” Kyrgios posted on X.
“Different rules for different players,” Canadian Denis Shapovalov posted on X. “Can’t imagine what every other player that got banned for contaminated substances is feeling right now.”
Roger Federer said he believed that Sinner had done nothing wrong, but was surprised he had been allowed to continue competing.
“I think we all trust pretty much that Jannik didn’t do anything,” Federer said on NBC’s Today show during last year’s US Open.
“But the inconsistency potentially that he didn’t have to sit out while they weren’t 100 per cent sure what was going on, I think that’s the question here that needs to be answered.
“I understand the frustration of, ‘Has he been treated the same as others?’ And I think this is where it comes down to.”
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