World No. 1 Jannik Sinner has been declared positive after testing positive twice for the banned substance clostebol

 

Several tennis players have reacted angrily after world number one Jannik Sinner was cleared of charges after twice testing positive for the banned substance clostebol.

Nick Kyrgios, Denis Shapovalov and Liam Broady were among the stars who posted on social media on Tuesday after the Italian was acquitted by an independent tribunal.

An initial test was conducted during the Indian Wells tournament in March, where Sinner reached the semifinals; a further sample, conducted out of competition eight days later, tested positive for the same substance.

Anti-doping body: International Tennis Integrity Agency [ITIA] confirmed that Sinner had appealed the findings claiming the substance had been accidentally transferred by his physiotherapist.

The Italian will still lose his 400 ranking points obtained in Indian Wells, where the first test took place, and his prize money of 325,000 dollars.

But rival players expressed dissatisfaction with the result, with Kyrgios describing the situation as “ridiculous”.

He wrote on X: “Whether it was accidental or planned. They made you take two tests with a banned substance (steroid)… You should be out for 2 years. Your performance has improved.”

British player Broady said: “Whether Sinner was doping or not, it’s not right. A lot of players go through the same thing and have to wait months or YEARS for their innocence to be cleared. It’s not a good look.”

Canadian star Shapovalov wrote: “I can’t imagine what all the other players who have been suspended for contaminated substances are feeling right now… different rules for different players.”

What is Clostebol?

Clostebol is a weak AAS with potential use as a performance enhancing drug. It is currently banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency

Many countries use it in medicine to treat ringworm.

“Jannik knew nothing about this”

A statement released on behalf of Sinner on Tuesday said the breach occurred after Sinner’s personal trainer purchased a product used to treat a cut on the tennis player’s finger by his physical therapist.

“Jannik knew nothing about this and his physiotherapist did not know that he was using a product containing clostebol,” the statement read.

“The physiotherapist treated Jannik without gloves and, in addition to the various skin lesions present on Jannik’s body, caused inadvertent contamination.”

The product in question was said to contain less than a billionth of a gram of the banned substance clostebol.

The Australian Open champion said: “I will now put this difficult and deeply unfortunate period behind me. I will continue to do everything I can to ensure that I continue to comply with the ITIA (International Tennis Integrity Agency) anti-doping program and I have a team around me who are meticulous in their compliance.”

A statement from the ITIA read: “The player explained that the substance had entered his system following contamination by a member of the support team, who was applying an over-the-counter spray. [available in Italy] containing clostebol on his skin to treat a small wound. That support team member applied the spray between March 5 and March 13, during which time he also provided daily massages and sports therapy to Sinner, resulting in unwitting transdermal contamination.

“After consulting scientific experts, who concluded that the player’s explanation was credible, the ITIA did not oppose the player’s appeals for the revocation of the provisional suspensions.

“A thorough investigation by the ITIA followed, which included multiple in-depth interviews with Sinner and his support team, all of whom cooperated fully with the process. Following that investigation, and in line with independent scientific advice, the ITIA accepted the player’s explanation regarding the source of the clostebol found in his sample and that the breach was not intentional.”

ITIA CEO Karen Moorhouse said: “We take any positive test extremely seriously and will always apply the rigorous processes set out by WADA. The ITIA has conducted a thorough investigation into the circumstances leading up to the positive tests, with which Mr Sinner and his representatives have cooperated fully.

“Following that investigation, the ITIA accepted the player’s explanation regarding the source of the clostebol and that the presence of the substance was not intentional. This was also accepted by the tribunal.

“We thank the independent tribunal for the speed and clarity of its decision regarding the degree of fault of the player.”

“It was a challenging issue”

Italian tested positive twice for banned substance clostebol
The ATP said in a statement: “We are encouraged that no fault or negligence was found on the part of Jannik Sinner.

“We would also like to acknowledge the robust investigation process and independent assessment of the facts within the Tennis Anti-Doping Program (TADP), which has allowed him to continue to compete.

“This was a challenging issue for Jannik and his team, and it underscores the need for players and their entourages to exercise extreme caution when using any products or treatments. Integrity is paramount in our sport.”

A WADA spokesperson said: “As we do with all cases, we will carefully review this decision and reserve the right to appeal to CAS if appropriate.”

Sinner defeated Frances Tiafoe in straight sets to claim the Cincinnati Open title
Sinner, who overcame home favourite Frances Tiafoe in three sets to win the Cincinnati Open final on Monday, will now turn her attention to the US Open, which starts on August 26, live on Sky Sports Tennis.

“Now, definitely, it’s important to recover, to be ready for New York,” he said after the win in Cincinnati.

“This is our main goal for this breakthrough in the United States.

“I’m very happy to be in the position I’m in and I’m just trying to keep going mentally, having this hunger to keep playing, and hopefully I can show good tennis in New York as well.”

What does this mean for Sinner’s rankings?

After Sinner’s victory in Cincinnati, the Italian has accumulated 9,760 points, so with the points deduction, he will still remain the number 1 in the world with 9,360 points.

Novak Djokovic lost 1,000 points for failing to defend his Cincy title. The Serb is back on 7,460 points with Carlos Alcaraz on 7,360 points

In the race to Turin, Sinner is at 7,400 points, and even with the points penalty, he is still at 7,000 points – 1,040 points ahead of Alcaraz [Sky News]

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