ATP world No. 1 Jannik Sinner has finally learned when the Court of Arbitration for Sport's (CAS) hearing into his doping case will occur.
Sinner has been managing uncertainty since the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) announced it had appealed the International Tennis Integrity Agency's decision to clear him of wrongdoing in his doping case.
The Australian Open and US Open champion twice tested positive for the prohibited substance clostebol at March's Indian Wells Open. After a five-month investigation, the ITIA determined that Sinner bore no fault for the clostebol being in his system.
Sinner explained that his physiotherapist gave him massages after using a spray for a cut finger that he did not realize contained traces of clostebol, meaning the substance entered his body without him knowing.
The ITIA argued that Sinner could not be blamed for that happening. However, WADA, despite not disputing how the contamination occurred, believes the Italian bears some fault for a team member having a product containing a banned substance.
While no one knows for sure how CAS will rule in the case, a top sports lawyer predicted that WADA would win the appeal and Sinner would receive a ban for the positive tests in Indian Wells last year.
Opinions differ in the tennis world differ about whether Sinner should be banned. Nick Kyrgios, who promised to show him no respect if they meet at the Australian Open, thinks anyone who tests positive should receive an automatic two-year ban.
By contrast, the Italian Davis Cup captain, Filippo Volandri, aggressively defended Sinner. He claimed that a suspension for his compatriot would be one of the biggest injustices in sports history.
After months of waiting since WADA appealed Sinner's case in October, CAS has announced that the world No. 1's case will be heard on April 16th and 17th at its headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland.
Since none of the parties involved in the case requested a public hearing, it will be conducted behind closed doors. Despite that, the hearing will attract more attention than most others that CAS rules on.
Although the news brings Sinner's doping case into worldwide headlines again, the date being announced could be a relief for the tennis star since the uncertainty surrounding it might have increased his anxiety.
Before the news was announced, Sinner admitted in a press conference that he thinks about his doping case and that preparing for a Grand Slam under those conditions is challenging.
"Yeah, you think about this, of course. I would lie if I would tell you I forget. No, it's not like this. It's something what I have with me now already for quite a long time."
Sinner will undoubtedly be asked about the date of his hearing being announced at his next press conference. It will be interesting to hear whether the confirmation is a weight off Sinner's mind in any way.
The date is guaranteed to disrupt Sinner's season. He was due to play at the Munich Open, which runs from April 14th to 20th, but that will no longer be possible because it clashes with the CAS hearing.
