Length of Jannik Sinner’s suspension would send shockwaves through tennis says former world No 7
Former world No 7 Barbara Schett has admitted the minimum suspension Jannik Sinner could be facing from tennis after his failed drug tests would rock the sport, with a one-year ban the likely outcome if he loses his appeal.
Defending Australian Open champion Sinner arrived in Melbourne with a huge cloud hovering over him after he returned two positive drug tests last March.
Sinner was initially cleared of wrongdoing by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) after he tested positive for the anabolic steroid clostebol, but the WADA appeal has prolonged his agony and there is a widespread expectation that he could now serve a ban.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is seeking to impose a one to two-year suspension on the world No 1 after they opted to appeal against the ITIA decision not to ban Sinner last year.
In an exclusive interview with Tennis365, ITIA CEO Karen Moorhouse explained why the minimum punishment the Italian could receive would be a one-year suspension if the decision goes against him.
“If you test positive for a banned substance, your starting point for a possible sanction is four years,” Moorhouse explained in her extensive Tennis365 interview.
“If you can demonstrate that it was not intentional, that reduces to two years. Then, if you can prove there was no fault, there is no sanction.
“In addition, a decision of ‘no significant fault or negligence’ could fall between a reprimand and two years. That applies to any cases around a contaminated substance.
“It’s the same rules and the same processes for every player. All cases are different and each case turns on individual facts.
“The complication with the Sinner case is the positive test was not a result of a contaminated product. That is the difference between Swiatek and Halep. There is no contamination here.
“The product that the masseuse used on his finger was not contaminated. That is exactly what it said the product contained on the packaging.
“And so because it is not a contaminated product, the range for a sanction is one year to two years.”
Now Eurosport reporter Schett has given her reaction to the news that Sinner could face a minimum of a one-year ban if the WADA appeal goes against him.
More Tennis News
Jannik Sinner facing shockingly long ban from tennis if he loses doping appeal
Speaking exclusively to Tennis365, the Austrian suggested Sinner is looking a little withdrawn as he waits for news on the WADA appeal, which is expected to be heard in mid-2025.
“He must feel under so much pressure and it can’t be easy,” Schett told Tennis365.
“I saw him briefly yesterday after his exhibition match and you get the feeling that the lightness is not there at the moment, which is understandable.
“He was very controlled, even more introverted than before. He was more outgoing before, but now he is very cautious about what he says.
“Despite everything, it has been incredible how he has been playing over the last six months or for however long this has been going on.
“Also, this chapter is not closed. There could still be a substantial ban, we will see, but it must be very hard for him to deal with that. It would be interesting to see how much he can block out and how he is doing that.”
We then informed Schett of the minimum ban Sinner would face if the WADA appeal goes against him would be a one-year suspension from tennis, which inspired this reaction.
“A year would be a very long time, I have to say. Let’s see what happens,” she added.
“One thing that has to change is it is all so complicated. There is so much inconsistency. Nobody really knows what’s going on.
“Why is one case like this and another case like that? It’s very confusing, I have to say, for everyone. For players, ex-players, journalists and everyone involved in tennis, this whole area is not clear.”
Some of Schett’s questions were answered in Tennis365’s exclusive interview with ITIA chief Moorhouse, but clarity over Sinner’s next move will not come for some time yet.
That uncertainty has to be a mental drain for the world no. 1 as he prepares to defend his title in Melbourne.
Watch every moment of the Australian Open live on discovery+ starting from January 12.
READ NEXT: What happened after Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek’s failed drug tests? Full explainer
