World number No 1 Jannik Sinner is facing the renewed threat of a ban after the World Anti-Doping Agency launched an appeal against a ruling of “no fault or negligence” for two positive tests he returned in March – and is old nemesis Nick Kyrgios has wasted no time in mocking him.
Sinner, who won the US Open earlier this month, twice tested positive for an anabolic steroid in March but on August 20 an independent tribunal determined he was not to blame and imposed no punishment.
The tribunal accepted Sinner’s explanation that the banned substance entered his body as a result of a massage from his physio, who had used a spray containing the steroid to treat a cut on their finger.
But WADA has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, seeking to impose a ban of up to two years on the 23-year-old Italian.
A statement from the agency said: “It is WADA’s view that the finding of ‘no fault or negligence’ was not correct under the applicable rules.
“WADA is seeking a period of ineligibility of between one and two years. WADA is not seeking a disqualification of any results, save that which has already been imposed by the tribunal of first instance.”
A statement from the International Tennis Integrity Agency said: “The ITIA acknowledges the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) decision to appeal the ruling of no fault or negligence in the case of Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner, issued by an independent tribunal appointed by Sport Resolutions on 19 August 2024.
“Under the terms of the World Anti-Doping Code, WADA has the final right to appeal all such decisions.
“Having reached an agreed set of facts following a thorough investigative process, the case was referred to a tribunal entirely independent of the ITIA to determine level of fault and therefore sanction because of the unique set of circumstances, and lack of comparable precedent.
“The process was run according to world anti-doping code guidelines. However, the ITIA acknowledges and respects WADA’s right to appeal the independent tribunal’s decision in the Court of Arbitration for Sport.”
The news of WADA’s intervention has rocked tennis and it was no surprise to see Krygrios among the first to give a verdict.
Kyrgios has been one of the players who has been outspoken on Sinner’s failed anti-doping tests and said the Italian should have been banned.
After the decision to clear Sinner at the start of last week, Kyrgios posted on X: “Ridiculous – whether it was accidental or planned.
“You get tested twice with a banned (steroid) substance… you should be gone for 2 years. Your performance was enhanced. Massage cream…. Yeah nice”
Sinner, who was cleared of fault or negligence by an independent tribunal who accepted the banned substance had accidentally entered his system, went on to win the US Open after news of his failed doping test was revealed shortly before the tournament started.
Sinner suggested he is happy to let bygones be bygones if he comes face to face with Kyrgios.
“I don’t want to respond on what he said. Everyone is free to say everything, so it’s OK,” Sinner said.
“If that is the case, let’s see. It’s going to be different, for sure, but I don’t know.
“I don’t know what to say. Maybe if I say something now, and then the reaction is going to be something else because you live in this moment.
“But I’m always quite relaxed. I’m someone who forgets quite fast something.
“As I said, everyone is quite free to say everything, so it is what it is.”
Now Kyrgios has had another pop at Sinner in a post on Instagram reacting to the WADA appeal by declaring: “Hahaha maybe not so innocent after all eh?”
He offered up a further view in the comments section as he added: ‘Hahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahah ahahahahahaha god I hope the people running this thing don’t care that he is number 1 and has money.’
Leave a Reply