New Delhi: World no. 1 and tennis star Jannik Sinner tested positive for a banned anabolic steroid twice in March this year and his prize money and points earned at a tournament in Indian Wells, California were taken away from him. Despite the case, it is to be noted that he will not be suspended because an independent tribunal said it wasn’t intentional.
The case came to light when the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) made it public on Tuesday. Sinner won the Cincinnati Open a day before (Monday) and will be among the favorites as he heads to the US Open which kick-offs in New York next week. Sinner became the world no. 1 in the ATP rankings in June, his debut in the position, and is currently considered as one of the top stars of the new era in men’s tennis besides Carlos Alcaraz.
Italy’s Sinner, who turned 23 years old last week, had clinched the Australian Open in January, his first Grand Slam title. He continued his flamboyant run in the Roland Garros in June where he reached the semifinals and made it to the quarterfinals at Wimbledon in July. His season’s campaign took a blow when he decided to sit out of the Paris Olympics, citing tonsilitis.
Why will Sinner not be suspended?
With the Indian Wells, a hard-court event, taking place in March, Sinner tested positive for having low levels of a metabolite of Clostebol, which is a banned anabolic steroid that can have possible uses in ophthalmology and dermatology. The drug is the same for which San Diego Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. had to face a suspension by the Major League Baseball (MLB).
This wasn’t it as Sinner yet again tested positive eight days later in an out-of-competition sample. Although he was suspended provisionally due to the results of the test but he made a successful appeal and was allowed to compete in the tour.
As per the ITIA, Sinner conveyed that his test results were positive because a member of his support team used a without-prescription spray to treat a minor wound, but it contained Clostebol. The staff member then massaged Sinner several times. The ITIA said that it accepted the explanation provided by Sinner and came to the conclusion that the violation was not intentional.
On August 15, an independent panel conducted a hearing where it was “determined a finding of No Fault or Negligence applied in the case, resulting in no period of ineligibility,” ITIA informed.
Jannik Sinner tested positive twice for a banned steroid back in March but will not face any kind of suspension because an independent tribunal said it was not intentional. Tennis Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
