WADA: Sinner case 'a million miles from doping'

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has defended the three-month ban handed to world No 1 tennis player Jannik Sinner, insisting the case is “a million miles from doping”.

Three-time Grand Slam champion Sinner tested positive for clostebol in March last year although he was not suspended by the International Tennis Integrity Agency.

WADA had appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport seeking a two-year ban but announced on Saturday a shorter suspension had been agreed, one that has been questioned by figures including Novak Djokovic, Nick Kyrgios and Tim Henman.

WADA’s general counsel Ross Wenzel believes Sinner’s sanction – which runs from February 9 to May 4 and leaves him clear to compete in the French Open – is “in the right place”.

He told the BBC: “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.

“WADA has received messages from those that consider that the sanction was too high and, in some respects, if you have some saying this is unfair on the athlete, and others saying it’s not enough, maybe it’s an indication that although it’s not going to be popular with everyone, that it was in the right place.

“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.”

Djokovic: Players feel there is favouritism for top stars

Djokovic noted inconstancies in the sanctions handed to the game’s biggest names – including women’s world No 2 Iga Swiatek – and the lower-ranked players.

The 24-time Grand Slam champion said: “It’s not a good image for our sport, that’s for sure. The majority of the players feel like there is favouritism happening.

“It seems like it appears that you can almost affect the outcome if you are a top player, if you have access to the top lawyers and whatnot.

“Swiatek and Sinner are innocent and it’s proven, unless it’s proven otherwise. So right now we know they’re innocent.

“Simona Halep and Tara Moore and some other players that are maybe less known have been struggling to resolve their cases for years or have gotten the ban for years.

“I think right now it’s a ripe time for us to really address the system, because the system and the structure obviously doesn’t work with anti-doping. It’s obvious.

“I hope that in the near future the governing bodies are going and try to find a more, effective way to deal with these processes.”

WADA: Sanctions are ‘blind to the calendar’

On Sinner’s ban elapsing before the next Grand Slam in Paris from May 25, Wenzel added: “Once you’ve reached an agreement, what you can’t do is then say ‘oh, but we’re going to have this apply from two months in the future for a period of three months’.

“It must come into effect quickly.

“The sanctions that we impose and the code even says this, they’re blind to the calendar. The correct sanction should be imposed and it comes into effect when it comes into effect.

“It shouldn’t be modulated or modified to take into account whether the events that are coming up are significant or not significant.”

Watch the ATP and WTA Tours, as well as the US Open, live on Sky Sports in 2025 or stream with NOW and the Sky Sports App.

Daniel Dubois vs Joseph Parker and the Artur Beterbiev vs Dmitry Bivol rematch will be live on Saturday February 22 on Sky Sports Box Office. Book now!