Will Jannik Sinner’s doping ban affect his French Open chances?

Montreal: World number one Jannik Sinner has reached a settlement with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), which will see the Italian serve a three-month ban.

Sinner was found by an independent tribunal of the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) to bear no fault or negligence, having twice tested positive for clostebol, a prohibited substance, in March 2024.

"The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) confirms that it has entered into a case resolution agreement in the case of Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner, with the player accepting a three-month period of ineligibility for an anti-doping rule violation that led to him testing positive for clostebol, a prohibited substance, in March 2024," read the statement by WADA.

Cause of contamination

According to Sinner, the substance entered his system after coming into contact with a support staff member who had been applying an ‘over-the-counter spray’ which contained slight levels of clostebol. Repeated massage by the said support staff member resulted in contamination.

"WADA accepts that Sinner did not intend to cheat, and that his exposure to clostebol did not provide any performance-enhancing benefit and took place without his knowledge as the result of negligence of members of his entourage," the statement added.

Suspension period and return

Sinner, who won the 2025 Australian Open in January, will have to serve a three-month ban from February 9 to May 4. Four days have already been served under provisional suspension, and he will be allowed to return to training from April 13. This means he will miss several key tournaments, including Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo, and the Madrid Open

His return on May 4 will allow him to participate in the second Grand Slam of the season at Roland Garros, the venue for the French Open, which takes place in Paris, France, from May 19 to June 8.

"Under the terms of the agreement, Sinner will serve his period of ineligibility from February 9, 2025, to 11:59 pm on May 4, 2025 (which includes a credit for four days previously served by the athlete while he was under a provisional suspension). As per the Code Article 10.14.2, Sinner may return to official training activity from April 13, 2025. In light of the case resolution agreement, WADA has formally withdrawn its appeal to CAS."

IANS