Jannik Sinner could face ban of up to two years as date confirmed for CAS hearing into doping case

Jannik Sinner's date in which he will take part in his Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) appeal surrounding his no fault or negligence verdict has been confirmed as his clay court season could hang in the balance.

Sinner will go to the sport's highest court in April for the appeal that seeks to ban him from the sport for at least one year. The World No.1 will have to attend a Behind Closed Doors hearing on April 16-17 in Lausanne, Switzerland.

WADA is challenging a decision made last year by the ITIA not to suspend Sinner for what is judged to be an accidental contamination through the substance Clostbeol which was administered through a massage by his physio after he used it to treat a cut on his finger.

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They decided to not suspend him and the case was not brought up again until CAS decided differently. Sinner who won the US Open in September after the details of his case were resolved now has a due date of sorts.

He will aim to focus on the Australian Open where he is the current champion having sealed the title last year prior to his positive test in March after Indian Wells.

Speaking today, he said he hasn't done anything different in terms of his preparation food wise after the positive test. "No, because l've done the same thing before. As I approach these things, they haven't changed. Before I was very, very careful on every single medicine I take, even what I eat. When the bottle is open, I throw it away, I take a new one.

I was always very, very careful about this stuff. No, it hasn’t changed.”

He also refused to answer questions about Nick Kyrgios making various jibes at him surrounding the charge. “I don't think I have to answer this, to be honest. How do I block it? It's not that you just put it in a part and you just say I don't think any more about this. In my mind I know exactly what happened, and that's how I block it, no?

"I haven't done anything wrong. That's why I'm still here. That's why I'm still playing. I don't want to respond on what Nick said or what other players says. I think the most important part is to have my people around me who contrast people, they exactly know what happened. That's it.”

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