Tested positive for clostebol in March but out of the woods – or so he thought – since his whitewashing by an independent court, Jannik Sinner sees this doping affair coming back to him. The world anti-doping agency has reopened the case by appealing the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
The case is not yet closed, to the great dismay of Jannik Sinner, who is not finished with this affair which has continued to tarnish his image. Even if the thesis of involuntary contamination – coherent and scientifically plausible according to several specialists – had been accepted by an independent tribunal, the World Anti-Doping Agency did not hesitate to bring this case before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) because it had the right to do so, considering that “the conclusion of absence of fault or negligence was not correct under the applicable rules”. WADA is now calling for “a period of suspension of one to two years” for the world No. 1.
“It’s special, isn’t it?” »
Jannik Sinner, tested positive for clostebol (banned substance) twice (eight days apart) in March, and in the greatest secrecy, then exonerated five months later, had pleaded the accident, arguing contamination via the use of a spray used by his physiotherapist. to treat a cut in which a doping agent was found. The International Tennis Integrity Agency (Itia) accepted his defense by exonerating him. Coming out virgin, Jannik Sinner, who had never gone beyond the quarter-finals in Flushing, won in New York by flying over the fortnight of the US Open, thus becoming the first world No.1 to win in the American tournament.
Why did WADA take so long to react? The World Anti-Doping Code sets a deadline of 21 days “after receipt of the complete file” relating to the case in question to appeal. However, as WADA received the complete file quite late, at the beginning of September, it had until the end of September to rule on the Sinner case. What she did on Thursday September 26. The affair revealed in mid-August sparked strong reactions in the tennis world from many players, including Nick Kyrgios and Lucas Pouille, who spoke to our microphone to express their feelings.
“From the moment you tested positive, you have to take it like everyone else, you have to be suspended,” he said. I repeat it but obviously we are not all in the same boat. In 2019, it was the Chilean player Nicolas Jarry who tested positive. He took two years, reduced to eleven months, because he said he didn’t do it on purpose, that there were extenuating circumstances, but he did it. took his year. There, as if by magic, he doesn’t take the points from Indian Wells, he doesn’t take his money, he gets a fine but he can continue to play. It’s surprising! cleared, why take away points and fine him… it’s special, isn’t it? » It seems that WADA is of the same opinion.
