Why Jannik Sinner got only 3-month ban, and which tournaments will he miss? World no. 1's doping suspension explained
All the information pertaining to Jannik Sinner's suspension, and how it will affect the world number one men's tennis player.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) confirmed via a press release that ATP world number one Jannik Sinner is set to serve a three-month suspension from tennis, in response to trace amounts of the banned substance clostebol being found in Sinner’s system in March 2024.
This seems to be the conclusion of a back-and-forth regarding Sinner’s case which began in September, in which it was revealed that an independent tribunal had found Sinner not guilty of negligence, allowing him to play over these previous months and lift high-profile trophies such as the US Open, the ATP World Tour Finals, and recently his second Australian Open.
Here are some FAQs on Sinner’s suspension.
What does WADA’s statement say?
WADA certified in their press release that they were “prepared to enter into a settlement agreement, in accordance with Article 10.8.2 of the World Anti-Doping Code,” with Sinner.
This was due to an understanding that “Mr. Sinner did not intend to cheat, and that his exposure to clostebol did not provide any performance-enhancing benefit.” The punishment is relatively brief due to this being a first-time offence by Sinner.
What was Sinner’s case against a longer ban?
Sinner had stated in response to his provisional suspension last year that the trace amounts of clostebol detected in his system was a result of an over-the-counter cream or spray called Trofodermin, which was used by physiotherapist Giacomo Naldi to heal a cut on his own hand. His subsequent treatment of Sinner led to the transferral of clostebol into his system.
Sinner parted ways with Naldi as well as personal trainer Umberto Ferrara last year. However, a punishment was still handed out, as Sinner was held liable as per Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) protocol: “an athlete bears responsibility for the entourage’s negligence,” as per the WADA statement.
What tournaments will Sinner miss?
Sinner will miss the first four Masters 1000 events of the season, including the ‘Sunshine Double’ in America on the hard courts of Indian Wells and Miami, as well as the start of the European clay court swing in Monte Carlo and Madrid.
Sinner won the Miami title last year, but won’t be able to defend his 1000-point haul from that event. He has already lost the points for his semifinal appearance at Indian Wells, which was the tournament at which he originally tested positive last year, and forfeited his points and prize money for as a result.
Sinner will be eligible for his home Masters event in Rome, where he is likely to begin his comeback, with the tournament starting on May 7. Sinner will also be back in time for the next grand slam event, with the Roland Garros in Paris beginning May 25th.
How will this affect Sinner’s ranking?
Sinner in total stands to lose 2100 points before his suspension comes to an end on May 5 of this year. He will lose 500 points on Monday, not having attempted to defend his title in the Rotterdam Open last week.
Sinner will drop to 9730 points as a result of his suspension. However, the Italian’s dominance in the last few months has been such that this by itself will not be enough to lose his number one ranking: he will remain clear of world number two Alexander Zverev by quite a distance, who will essentially have to win a whopping 2500 points in this period to catch up with the Italian. While possible with the slate of Masters 1000 events, it will require great consistency from the German.
Sinner’s close rival and world number three Carlos Alcaraz will similarly have to score over 3700 points in the next three months to take over the top rank in Sinner’s absence, which is an even steeper task.
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