World No.1
Jannik Sinner is at the centre of a doping storm as it was revealed that he tested positive twice for a banned substance during
Indian Wells earlier this year. Albeit he has since gone through a tribunal and 'No Fault or Negligence' has been found.
The ITIA confirmed the news on Tuesday afternoon with Sinner getting sprayed with an over the counter spray containing the substance Clostebol which is banned in the WADA prohibited list by a member of his team. He was sprayed with it for a wound at the tournament but a tribunal confirmed that he bore no negligence for the positive test.
He was initially suspended as a result, but appealed it successfully and has since been playing all season. But he will now have his points stripped from Indian Wells as well as prize money. He reached the semi-finals losing to Carlos Alcaraz.
He forfeits 400 ranking points and $325,000 but he was up by 2300 points so hangs onto World No.1. The ITIA confirmed the no fault this afternoon.
"The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) today confirms that an independent tribunal convened by Sport Resolutions has ruled that Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner bears No Fault or Negligence for two Anti-Doping Rule Violations under the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme (TADP), having twice tested positive for the prohibited substance clostebol in March 2024," a statement released on Tuesday confirmed.
"Sinner, currently ranked world number one in men’s singles, provided an in-competition sample at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Indian Wells, USA, on 10 March 2024, which contained the presence of a metabolite of clostebol at low levels. A further sample, conducted out of competition eight days later, also tested positive for the same metabolite - again at low levels."
"Clostebol is an anabolic agent prohibited at all times under Section S1 of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List. Under the World Anti-Doping Code (WADC), when a player returns an Adverse Analytical Finding for a non-specified substance, like clostebol, a provisional suspension is automatically applied. The player has the right to apply to an independent tribunal chair appointed by Sport Resolutions to have that provisional suspension lifted.
"As such, after each positive test, a provisional suspension was applied. On both occasions, Sinner successfully appealed the provisional suspension and so has been able to continue playing.
"The player explained that the substance had entered their system as a result of contamination from a support team member, who had been applying an over-the-counter spray (available in Italy) containing clostebol to their own skin to treat a small wound. That support team member applied the spray between 5 and 13 March, during which time they also provided daily massages and sports therapy to Sinner, resulting in unknowing transdermal contamination.
"A hearing was convened at Sport Resolutions on 15 August 2024, from which the independent tribunal determined a finding of No Fault or Negligence applied in the case, resulting in no period of ineligibility.
"However, in line with the WADC and TADP, Sinner’s results, prize money and ranking points from the ATP Masters 1000 event at Indian Wells, where the player tested positive in competition for clostebol, are disqualified."
Sinner himself responded to this on Tuesday. He released a statement saying: "I will now put this challenging and deeply unfortunate period behind me. I will continue to do everything I can to ensure I continue to comply with the ITIA's anti-doping programme and I have a team around me that are meticulous in their own compliance."
ATP also released a statement confirming this and spoke of it as a lesson to other players. "We are encouraged that no fault or negligence has been found on Jannik Sinner’s part. We would also like to acknowledge the robustness of the investigation process and independent evaluation of the facts under the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme (TADP), which has allowed him to continue competing. This has been a challenging matter for Jannik and his team, and underscores the need for players and their entourages to take utmost care in the use of products or treatments. Integrity is paramount in our sport."
