Sinner's doping scandal continues but support doesn't falter

Italian Tennis Federation chief Angelo Binaghi has backed world number one Jannik Sinner in the doping case. The 23-year-old is already regarded as one of the best players currently playing in men’s tennis in the singles category along with the likes of Spain’s Carlos Alcaraz.

Sinner has been in the news in 2024 for good and bad reasons. The good reason was his form on the court, where he was simply unstoppable. Because of that, he became the world's number-one player and will finish the season as the top-ranked player in men’s tennis in the singles category. On the other hand, the bad reason was that he has been involved in a doping scandal.

Sinner was tested positive for Clostebol, an anabolic steroid. However, despite that, the reigning world number one managed to escape any punishment as the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) accepted his counsel’s response where they claimed that the availability of the banned substance in the player’s sample was because of receiving a cream from one member of the coaching staff to treat an injury. However, the case is far from over as the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), in September, appealed against the decision of the ITIA in front of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The matter is likely to be resolved in 2025.

Italian Tennis Federation chief Binaghi recently spoke to AP during the ongoing ATP Finals in Turin, where Sinner is one of the eight participants. The 64-year-old not only completely backed the world number one in the doping scandal but also stated that the two-time Grand Slam winner has already proven himself in the public's eyes. Binaghi stated that regardless of the WADA outcome, Sinner will remain one of the ‘cleanest’ athletes around. “Apart from a few imbeciles, people all around the world understand what happened,” he said. “No matter what type of decision is issued, there’s no doubt that Sinner is one of the cleanest and most honest athletes in world sport.”