The extensive list of conditions that Jannik Sinner must follow during 3-month ban
Jannik Sinner’s ‘doping ban’ may well forbid the Italian from competing professionally, but there is also an extensive list of other restrictions that the world No 1 must abide by.
Just before he was due to participate at the 2025 Qatar Open, it was announced that Sinner and the World Anti-Doping Agency had reached a settlement – with the Italian banned from competing professionally for a 3-month period.
“Under the terms of the agreement, Mr. Sinner will serve his period of ineligibility from 9 February 2025 to 11:59 pm on 4 May 2025 (which includes a credit for four days previously served by the athlete while he was under a provisional suspension),” stated WADA.
The suspension means that the world No 1’s next tournament will be able to play at the Rome Masters, just prior to Roland Garros.
However, the condition of ineligibility for professional tournaments is not the only stipulation of such a suspension.
The most recent Grand Slam champion is not allowed to practice under usual conditions either.
The WADA statement continued: “As per the Code Article 10.14.2, Mr. Sinner may return to official training activity from 13 April 2025.”
‘Official training activity’ means that, until that set date, the Italian is only permitted to: “train with his support staff, as long as he does not do so in a place connected to a national association, the ATP, the ITF, the WTA, the Grand Slams or an event covered by our regulation.”
Thus, the world No 1 cannot practice with fellow professionals of countries whose federations have signed WADA’s code of conduct, or even his girlfriend Anna Kalinskaya – who is the world No 19 on the WTA tour.
Remarkably, the restrictions go further and ban his ability to enter any professional sports facility – even as a member of the crowd at an event.
Additionally, Sinner is forbidden from using public gyms or public tennis courts.
Thus, the 2025 Australian Open must – until April 13th – only practice at private tennis courts with non-professionally registered sparring partners, and utilise only private gym facilities.
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Whilst these conditions may seem strict to some, others have been quick to criticise the leniency of the rules.
“Obviously Sinner’s team have done everything in their power to just go ahead and take a 3-month ban, no titles lost, no prize money lost,” said Australian Nick Kyrgios.
“Guilty or not? Sad day for tennis. Fairness in tennis does not exist.”
Former Grand Slam champion Stan Wawrinka took to X to state: “I don’t believe in clean sport anymore.”
2013 Wimbledon champion Marion Bartoli also attacked WADA’s settlement: The president of the ATP is Italian and as luck would have it, he will resume in Rome… When you put everything together, you still say to yourself, ‘aren’t they ‘taking the pi** a bit?’”
On the other hand, WADA general counsel Ross Wenzel fought back and defended the agreement with Sinner: “This was a case that was a million miles away from doping.
“The scientific feedback that we received was that this could not be a case of intentional doping, including micro-dosing.
“When we look at these cases we try to look at them technically, operationally and we don’t do it with fear of what the public and the politicians or anyone is going to say.”
