New Delhi: The World No.1 Jannik Sinner has been dropped from an exhibition event in Las Vegas next month due to a three-month from tennis after he tested positive for a banned drug twice.
Casper Ruud has been announced as his replacement and will join Alexander Zverev, Taylor Fritz and Tommy Paul as part of the MGM Rewards Slam at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on March 2 . The change was announced on Thursday in a news release that said the Australian Open champion Sinner “will not play following his recent suspension”.
Last weekend, Sinner accepted the punishment as part of a settlement with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). The Italian has tested positive for anabolic agent clostebol which he said had entered his body during therapy and massages from a member of his support team.
WADA had appealed a decision last year to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) after an independent panel cleared him as part of an International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) probe following two positive doping tests.
Jannik Sinner eligible for French Open return
Under the settlement, the Italian will be sidelined until early May and can return to competition at the Rome Masters in his home country. The timing of his suspension raised eyebrows among some other tennis players as the World No.1 won’t miss a Grand Slam tournament. He will be eligible to play French Open 2025, which starts on May 25.
Sinner has won three of the past five major men’s singles championships. He won the last two Australian Opens and the US Open in September 2024. Casper Ruud and Alexander Zverev both have been the runner-up at majors three times. Taylor Fritz lost against Sinner in the last year’s US Open final. Aryna Sabalenka will play against former No. 1 Naomi Osaka in an exhibition match on March 1.
The World No. 1 Jannik Sinner was dropped from the MGM Rewards Slam next month as he is serving a three-month ban after failing the doping test twice. Tennis Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
