"It was a case of error": Panatta defends Sinner amid Clostebol case, questions WADA’s appeal

Italian tennis legend Adriano Panatta criticizes WADA's appeal against Jannik Sinner amid the doping scandal that continues to shake the ATP Tour. The former French Open champion stated that the appeal process "is not democratic" and backed the innocence of his compatriot.

Sinner failed two anti-doping tests at the past Indian Wells, testing positive for Clostebol. The penalty included the loss of prize money and points earned during the tournament.

The case wasn't made public until late August, after Sinner won the Cincinnati Open title and was preparing for the start of the US Open. The World No. 1 did not face suspension, unlike other players in seemingly similar cases, and his innocence was determined five months after the doping result.

According to the investigation, Sinner was inadvertently contaminated by his physiotherapist Giacomo Naldi, who used a skin cream containing the banned steroid. By attending to the 2-time Grand Slam champion without gloves, Sinner was affected by a minimal amount that would not have impacted his performance.

A few days ago, it was revealed that WADA is appealing the ITIA’s verdict and seeking a suspension of one to two years due to the regulatory breach. Former World No. 4 Panatta defended the current World No. 1: “Sinner is innocent. The substance detected is infinitesimal, we know that Clostebol is transmitted extremely easily, even a handshake is enough,” said Panatta. “It was a case of error or carelessness on the part of the physiotherapist."

"The appeals system is not democratic. I believe in Sinner’s innocence, but I also believe in the right to a proper defense, even for those with fewer resources,” he added. “The problem is that top players have incomes that allow them to afford the best lawyers, while there are players on the circuit who struggle to even buy a plane ticket.”

Upon hearing the news of the appeal, Sinner commented while competing at the China Open: “Obviously, I’m very disappointed and also surprised by this appeal, to be honest, because we had three hearings,” the Italian said. “All three hearings were very positive for me. You know, I was not expecting this. I found out a couple of days ago that they were going to appeal, and today it became official, so..."

“But yeah, it’s a surprise. We always talk about the same thing. Maybe they just want to ensure that everything is in the right place. Yeah, I’m just surprised they appealed.”