Sinner Cleared of Doping Accusations
Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner, the world’s number one, has been fully cleared of doping accusations after testing positive for clostebol at the Indian Wells tournament, as the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) did not file an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
The CAS secretariat confirmed to the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera that within the 21-day appeal window, which has now expired, WADA did not challenge the ruling of the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) which had declared him innocent.
Sinner tested positive in an anti-doping control at the Masters 1,000 in Indian Wells, but the ITIA declared him innocent on August 19, a week before the U.S. Open, which the Italian won. The ITIA considered that the positive result was due to an error by the player's physiotherapist, who used a product containing clostebol.
The ITIA’s decision sparked significant debate within the tennis world about whether Sinner received favorable treatment because he is one of the most important players on the global circuit organized by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP).
The final acquittal was reviewed over three weeks by WADA’s lawyers, who analyzed around ten appeals presented to CAS regarding clostebol, a steroid found in healing ointments and sprays.
Sinner, 23, is the first Italian to win the U.S. Open. He has won 16 individual titles in his career and is also the current Australian Open champion.
