The tennis world was rocked by the news of Jannik Sinner testing positive for a banned substance, but he won't be suspended.
Sinner is the reigning world number one after taking over that spot at this year's Roland Garros. Even before becoming world number one, the Italian was branded as the best player in the world because of his performances in 2024, and players like Novak Djokovic famously proclaimed him the best in the world after the Australian Open.
In Australia, Sinner won his maiden Grand Slam trophy earlier this year by beating Daniil Medvedev in the final. Simply put, the Italian has been enjoying the best season of his career, and it's the year when everybody celebrates his achievements. While fans were busy celebrating, there was a lot going on in the background.
Sinner earned all of his achievements on the court, but at the Indian Wells Open, he had a bit of help. He was aided by a banned substance, for which he tested positive during the ATP Masters 1000 event. Sinner tested positive twice for clostebol in March of this year during the Indian Wells Open.
The case of Simona Halep and some other players has taught us that, generally, by rules, players get immediately provisionally suspended after testing positive while they await a thorough investigation, which will then conclude whether the players intentionally doped or not.
Sinner was not suspended, as he was allowed to compete all this time. An investigation was ongoing during that time, but none of this was disclosed to the public. It was all kept under wraps until today when the ITIA published a report absolving Sinner of any wrongdoing.
The banned substance should have entered Sinner's system through his team member, who applied a spray that contained the substance on his skin to treat a small wound. When the staff member gave Sinner a message, the banned substance entered his system, which then showed up on a positive doping test.
The ITIA found Sinner's explanation immediately credible, and they didn't oppose Sinner's appeal to lift the provisional suspension. That's why the Italian was allowed to compete during this time while a thorough investigation was being conducted.
“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. “
Sinner's team was able to track the source immediately, which aided his case. There is an argument to be made whether that's justified or not, but Sinner was able to compete, and today, he was cleared of any wrongdoings.
Still, Sinner won't be walking away without any punishment, as he was stripped of his points and prize money from this year's Indian Wells Open in accordance with the rules. He reached the semi-finals at the tournament, earning him 400 points and $325,000, which he will now lose.
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