Jannik Sinner WADA appeal ‘sending shockwaves’ through tennis, claims former No 1
News of WADA’s appeal regarding Jannik Sinner’s doping case is “sending shockwaves” through tennis, claims former doubles star Paul McNamee.
It was announced on Saturday that the World Anti-Doping Agency were appealing the International Tennis Integrity Agency’s initial ruling concerning Sinner.
The world No 1 was found to be of “no fault or negligence” after twice testing positive for banned steroid clostebol back in March, successfully arguing that he had accidentally been contaminated by physio Giacomo Naldi.
Sinner was stripped of his Indian Wells prize money and ranking points, with the first positive test coming midway through the Masters 1000 event, though was handed no further sanction.
The news was confirmed last month, the day after Sinner had won the Cincinnati Open, and less than three weeks before he lifted his second major title at the US Open.
Among the first to react to WADA’s announcement on Saturday was McNamee, a former doubles world No 1 and five-time Grand Slam winner, alongside being Hsieh Su-Wei’s long-time coach.
Writing on Twitter/X, he claimed the announcement was “sending shockwaves” through tennis, and that the decision was “a very big call”.
He wrote: “Gee that’s sending shockwaves through tennis that WADA are appealing the ITIA decision to the Court of Arbitration of Sport in the Jannik Sinner case…. that’s a very big call and I wasn’t expecting that.”
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In their statement this morning, WADA confirmed that they had submitted their appeal on September 26th and that they were hoping to secure a suspension between one to two years for the 23-year-old.
The statement said: “The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) confirms that on Thursday 26 September, it lodged an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in the case of Italian tennis player, Jannik Sinner, who 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.
“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.
“As this matter is now pending before CAS, WADA will make no further comment at this time.”
There is no confirmed timeframe as to when the Court of Arbitration for Sport will announce its final ruling on the case.
Sinner is currently in action at the China Open in Beijing, where he is the defending champion.
The Italian was contesting a second round match against Roman Safiullin when the announcement was made.
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