Top tennis player Jannik Sinner ‘surprised’ by appeal in doping case

ROME (AP) — The highest-ranked tennis player Jannik Sinner He said he was “very disappointed and surprised at the same time” after the decision to clear him of wrongdoing two positive drug tests Appealed by the World Anti-Doping Agency.

The Montreal-based organization known as WADA said on Saturday it was seeking a one- to two-year ban for the US Open champion but did not plan to delay an eventual ban; This means Sinner can retain his second Grand Prix. Even if he is found guilty, multiply his title.

The announcement was made while Sinner was on the court against Roman Safiullin. At the China Open in Beijing.

“To be honest, I was very disappointed and surprised by this appeal because we had three hearings. “All three trials ended very positively for me,” the 23-year-old Sinner said after defeating Safiullin.

“You know, I didn’t expect this. I knew a few days ago that they would appeal, that today it would become official, so… this is a surprise,” the Italian added. “Maybe they just want to make sure everything is in the right position.”

Sinner tested positive for anabolic steroids twice in March but was not banned by decision of an independent court It was announced last month by the International Tennis Integrity Agency that ITIA had found him not guilty.

The explanation the sinner accepted was this: banned performance enhancer It inadvertently entered his system through a massage from his physical therapist, who used a steroid-containing spray to treat his own cut finger.

WADA said it had appealed to the Switzerland-based Court of Arbitration for Sport on Thursday.

“WADA’s view is that the finding of ‘no fault or negligence’ is not correct under the applicable rules,” WADA said in a statement. The statement was included. “WADA requires a period of ineligibility of one to two years. WADA does not wish to disqualify any results other than those already awarded by the trial court.”

WADA argued that tennis integrity body prosecutor Nicolas Zbinden (who accepted Sinner’s version of events) had not followed the rules correctly, despite being a lawyer who regularly worked on high-profile cases for the global watchdog. Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva.

“It is difficult to see what would be gained by asking a different group of three judges to look at the same facts and documents again,” Sinner said in a later statement. he said.

“However, I have nothing to hide and, as I did throughout the summer, I will fully cooperate with the appeals process and provide whatever it takes to prove my innocence once again,” Sinner added.

If the parties agree to cooperate, an appeal decision at CAS can come quickly, even within a few months. At least that’s how it worked out in another high-profile doping case in tennis. Maria Sharapova.

Still, the case likely won’t be solved before Sinner begins his defense. Australian Open championship In January. While the objection is heard, the sinner may continue to play.

Sharapova tested positive for the newly banned heart drug meldonium at the Australian Open in January 2016. In June of the same year, he was banned for two years by the International Tennis Federation.

The Russian star appealed to CAS, held an appeal hearing in front of three judges in New York in September, and four weeks later received a decision reducing the ban to 15 months.

Sharapova’s entire process at CAS took just four months; this was much shorter than most doping cases, which usually last about a year. The timeline can be stalled by complexities such as selecting a jury panel, finding a trial date, and the parties exchanging documents and evidence from experts.

During the Indian Wells hard court event in March, Sinner tested positive for low levels of the metabolite Clostebol, a banned anabolic steroid that can be used for ophthalmological and dermatological use. This is for the same drug San Diego Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. Suspended by MLB in 2022.

Sinner tested positive again eight days later on an out-of-competition sample.

He was twice provisionally suspended by the tennis integrity body because of these test results, but twice he successfully appealed to an independent tribunal judge and was allowed to continue competing on the tour.

Sinner said the test results were due to the fitness trainer’s purchase. an over-the-counter spray called Trophodermin A drug containing Clostebol was found in Italy and given to a physiotherapist to treat the cut on Sinner’s finger. The physical therapist then treated Sinner without wearing gloves.

Sinner said the amount of banned substance he tested was “.000000001”

ITIA said that it accepted Sinner’s statement after 10 meetings with the player and his circle, and the independent panel also accepted this statement at the hearing held on 15 August.

The tennis integrity body’s decision led to Sinner losing the $325,000 prize money and 400 ranking points he earned at the tournament in Indian Wells.

Sinner later announced that he had fired two of his coaches.

“We have great confidence in (CAS), which should have the final say in the case,” said Angelo Binaghi, president of the Italian tennis and padel federation. “I am confident that the only impact of WADA’s objection will be positive. Because this will formalize his innocence.”

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AP Sports Writer Graham Dunbar in Lausanne, Switzerland, contributed.

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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

Andrew Dampf, Associated Press