Jannik Sinner tested positive for a banned substance, as a result of which he was provisionally suspended from tennis for a few days, and now he released a statement.
August 20, 2024, will be remembered as the day the news broke that the World No. 1 player on the ATP Tour had positively tested for a banned substance.
Although everything happened already in March 2024, the public found out only in August, even though the Italian player was provisionally suspended on two instances, from April 4th to 5th and from April 17th to 20th.
The ITIA announced that Sinner tested positive twice for a banned substance, 'clostebol,' but he appealed the decision each time, and eventually, he was cleared of any wrongdoing.
With the release of the ITIA's statement, which read that the World No. 1 player appealed that the substance entered his body via the member of his team, who was massaging him, the 23-year-old also released his own statement.
Just yesterday, Sinner celebrated his win at the 2024 Cincinnati Open, beating Frances Tiafoe in the final. He knew that the following day, the whole world would find out about his troubles, which were going on behind closed doors.
The 2024 Australian Open winner called this period 'deeply unfortunate' and stated that he will make sure to further comply with the ITIA's anti-doping rules to prevent similar situation from happening in the future.
"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."
Sinner's lawyer, Jamie Singer of Onside Law, also released a statement after the news broke out. Singer defended the anti-doping rules, saying they 'have to be very strict to be effective'.
"Anti-doping rules have to be very strict to be effective. Sadly the unfortunate consequence is that, occasionally, entirely innocent athletes get caught up in them. There is no question that Jannik is innocent in this case."
"The ITIA did not challenge that key principle. However, under strict liability rules Jannik is responsible for whatever is in his system, even when entirely unaware of it, as in this exceptional case."
While Sinner was cleared of any wrongdoing, this period will certainly stain his tennis career, as some of his fellow colleagues from the ATP Tour have already came out with statements, being bewildered by the fact that the investigation of the Italian's positive test was kept away from the public for so long.
Sinner, on the other hand, will try to focus on his tennis in the following weeks, as he will enter the 2024 US Open as the top seed, trying to win his second career Grand Slam title.
The press present at Flushing Meadows certainly won't make this any easier, as the 23-year-old is expected to be bombarded by various questions regarding this case in New York.