New Delhi: Italian tennis star Jannik Sinner will go to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in April for the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) appeal that seeks to impose a ban on him from the sport for at least one year.
His hearing is scheduled behind closed doors on April 16-17 at CAS headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland. Sinner tested positive for low levels of the anabolic steroid Clostebol in two different tests conducted in March last year. WADA is challenging the decision which was given by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) not to suspend Sinner for what it judged was accidental contamination of the banned steroid.
Sinner claimed that the banned substance entered his body through a massage from a trainer who used Clostebol to treat a finger injury. Despite all of this, WADA still filed an appeal with CAS in September, challenging the ITIA’s decision. If the appeal is successful, the World number one could face a ban of two years. “No parties requested a public hearing, and it will be conducted behind closed doors,” CAS said in a statement about the two-day hearing.
The CAS has not given any specific timeline for its decision but a fast-track verdict may be requested to ensure the decision is made before the French Open, which starts on May 25. The doping case has also cast a shadow on Sinner’s sensational 2023 season, during which he won the U.S. Open.
The WADA is not questioning the player’s explanation of how the substance ended up in his system, but believes that the independent panel’s finding that Sinner had no fault or negligence is “not correct under the applicable rules”.
‘I haven’t done anything wrong’: Jannik Sinner
Defending Australian Open champions Sinner said that he knows exactly as much as everyone knows about the case and it’s been with him for quite a long time.
“I know exactly as much as you guys know. We’re in a stage where we don’t know many, many things. Yeah, you think about this, of course. I would lie if I said I forget. It’s been with me for quite a long time. But it is what it is. I’m here trying to prepare for the Grand Slam. Let’s see how it goes” Sinner said.
He further added that he hasn’t done anything wrong and that is why he is participating in the Australian Open.
“I haven’t done anything wrong. That’s why I’m still here, that’s why I’m still playing. I don’t want to respond to what Nick said or what other players say” he added.
Italian tennis star Jannik Sinner will face the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in April after the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) appeal seeking a minimum one-year ban. Tennis Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
