New Delhi: The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has responded after top tennis players criticised the global anti-doping body for arriving at a settlement with current world no.1 Jannik Sinner over a three-month ban in his long pending doping case. WADA’s chief counsel Ross Wenzel said the three-month ban following the settlement with Sinner is not unique to his case.
It all started after current world no.1 and reigning Australian Open champion Sinner tested positive twice for an anabolic agent called Clostebol last year. However, he escaped an immediate ban after an independent tennis tribunal ruled that the substance was unintentionally applied by Sinner’s masseuse during a massage or physiotherapy.
However, WADA protested the decision and filed a plea in the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), demanding a ban on the tennis star. The CAS hearing was set for April this year and Sinner faced a potential ban of up to two years if proven guilty. However, earlier this month, WADA settled the case with the world no.1 and his legal team while handing him a three-month ban.
WADA decided to withdraw their appeal in the CAS while Sinner accepted the three-month ban which would allow him to return to professional tennis before the French Open this year. The three-month ban means Sinner will not miss any Grand Slam tournaments this year and will just be barred from playing some Masters tournaments.
Several top tennis stars, including the likes of Nick Kyrgio and Stan Wawrinka, criticised WADA’s decision to agree to a settlement while 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic also stated that many players feel that the decision was ‘unfair’. WADA chief counsel Wenzel has now responded to the criticism.
WADA chief counsel responds to criticism over Sinner settlement
WADA chief counsel Wenzel said the anti-doping body appealed against the tribunal’s decision in Sinner’s case last year as they must ensure the athletes bear responsibility for the negligence by them or their support staff. However, he insisted the settlement for a 3-month ban is not unique to Sinner’s case and that the WADA has reach such settlements with around 70 athletes in the last 4 years.
“We appealed it because of the responsibility that athletes have under our rules, under the code for their entourage… We struck a case resolution agreement, which WADA has entered into 70-odd of these in the last four years,” Wenzel was quoted as saying by Reuters.
“This is not something that is unique to the case of Mr Sinner. We’ve done it with athletes at all levels. The facts of this case are there for everyone to see and to read. We feel that we’ve been transparent in the way that we’ve handled it,” he added.
WADA had earlier clarified that in Sinner’s case, the body felt it was not the athlete’s mistake and that the banned substance was applied to his body by his masseur during a massage unintentionally. Wenzel echoed similar sentiments as he called the 3-month ban a fair decision and said their investigation ruled out any scenario of doping.
“We feel that given the unique facts of this case … a three-month period of ineligibility is the right one and a fair one. There was nothing.. it might be a complex factual scenario, but it was well substantiated and the science ruled out any sort of doping scenario,” said Wenzel.
Sinner successfully defended his title at the Australian Open 2025 last month after beating Germany’s Alexander Zverev in the final. Sinner became the first Italian to win three Grand Slam titles and also became the first player since Rafael Nadal to defend his first major title. Sinner is expected to return to action in the French Open later this year.
Amid criticism from top players over settlement on a three-month ban with world no.1 Jannik Sinner, WADA chief counsel Ross Wenzel said the settlement is not unique to the Italian’s case. He also urged the critics to read the facts put out by WADA in Sinner’s case. Tennis Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
