‘A million miles from doping’: Wada defends Jannik Sinner’s 3-month ban
Anti-doping body lawyer says sanction level against Italian world No 1, which has been criticised by many players, was ‘in the right place’
The World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) has defended the three-month ban agreed for world No 1 Jannik Sinner, insisting his case was “a million miles from doping”.
Sinner tested positive for clostebol in March last year, and after the International Tennis Integrity Agency decided to not suspend the Italian, Wada announced it had appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport and was seeking a two-year ban.
However, Wada announced last Saturday it had agreed an immediate three-month ban after accepting the 23-year-old was inadvertently contaminated by his physiotherapist.
Sinner said that the banned substance entered his system when his physiotherapist used a spray containing it to treat a cut, then provided massage and sports therapy to the player.
The sanction has been considered too lenient, and questioned and criticised by current and former players, including Novak Djokovic.
However, Wada’s general counsel Ross Wenzel believed the sanction level was “in the right place” for what had occurred.