The professional tennis world starts their 2025 season under a cloud as the 2024 US Open champion, Jannik Sinner, has his doping case heading to appeal. What does this mean for the Italian tennis star who won two Grand Slam tournaments last year? And what impact can this have on the #1 ranked men’s tennis champion? How will this affect the Australian Open?
Jannik Sinner made it through to his first grand slam semi-final (John Walton/PA) (PA Wire)
Background
Jannik Sinner was found guilty of doping in March after two of his tests returned positive for the anabolic steroid, clostebol. The young Italian appealed the ruling stating his physio and trainer, Giacomo Naldi and Umberto Ferrara, respectively, unknowingly supplied him with the outlawed OTC spray.
His guilty verdict resulted in a loss of 400 points and a forfeiting of his prize money in the Indian Wells tournament. He won an appeal by an international tribunal causing many of his peers to be critical of the player and the tribunal. Sinner subsequently competed and won not only in Cincinnati but the US Open trophy, too!
Present
The World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) has agreed to bring up an appeal to the ruling of “no fault or negligence” and wants a one or two year ban for Sinner. The International Court of Appeals will hear the case in April.
Why is this big for the Australian Open?
Sinner is one of two international champion tennis pros to test positive for a banned substance. Iga Swiatek, winner of last year’s French Open, received a one month ban for testing positive for trimetazidine (TMZ) in August. She said it was a trace amount in her melatonin that many players take to help aid their sleeping.
Sep 5, 2022; Flushing, NY, USA; Iga Swiatek of Poland defeats Jule Niemeier of Germany on day eight of the 2022 U.S. Open tennis tournament at USTA Billie Jean King Tennis Center. Mandatory Credit: Danielle Parhizkaran-USA TODAY Sports
Although these are not intentional cases of doping, it clearly shows that the tennis world takes drug testing seriously. But the only reason this is big is because if a player appeals within ten days of the positive test, the ITIA keeps these confidential. Even though they claim they are transparent.
So as the tennis world begins with their first grand slam event, The Australian Open, the news of players banned becomes a sidelight to the action itself. And both Sinner and Swiatek are strong bets to win down under.
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