"He will have plenty of questions to answer": Tim Henman raises question about WADA's agreement with Jannik Sinner for three-month ban regarding failed doping tests

Britain’s former number one, Tim Henman, believes that the recent agreement between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and Italy’s Jannik Sinner leaves a ‘sour taste’ for tennis. The 23-year-old’s long-standing doping scandal finally came to an end on Saturday as the WADA announced that an agreement had been reached between the player and the authorities, which will see the reigning world number one serve a three-month ban.

The development ended a controversy which started back in March last year when the three-time Grand Slam winner tested positive for banned substances on two occasions. Despite that, Sinner managed to escape the ban as the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) announced that the player was innocent following a hearing where the player’s counsel argued that the reigning Australian Open winner received a cream for the treatment of an injury from one member of the coaching staff which resulted in him containing the substance in minimal quantity during the time of the test.

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The decision was then challenged by WADA in the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), but the matter was resolved before the hearing. Britain’s former number one Henman has spoken to Sky Sports about the development, where he criticised the decision and believed that it leaves a ‘sour taste’ for tennis.

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“First and foremost I don’t think in any way he has been trying to cheat at any stage, I don’t believe that,” he said. “However, when I read this statement this morning it just seems a little bit too convenient. Obviously having just won the Australian Open, to miss three months of the Tour and therefore to be eligible to play at Roland Garros, the timing couldn’t have been any better for Sinner, but I still think it leaves a pretty sour taste for the sport. When you’re dealing with drugs in sport it very much has to be black and white, it’s binary, it’s positive or negative, you’re banned or you’re not banned. When you start reading words like settlement or agreement, it feels like there’s been a negotiation and I don’t think that will sit well with the player cohort and the fans of the sport. From Sinner’s point of view, he will be very keen to serve his ban, draw a line in the sand and get ready for Roland Garros, which is such a big priority for him. This deal feels like a very convenient timeframe for Sinner and he will have plenty of questions to answer about this story for the rest of his career.”

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