World No 1 Jannik Sinner accepts 3-month doping ban

MONTREAL, Canada - The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) confirmed on Saturday that it has entered into a case resolution agreement with tennis world No 1 Jannik Sinner of Italy, who accepted a three-month ban for testing positive for clostebol in March 2024.

WADA had appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in the case of Sinner, who had been found by an Independent Tribunal to bear no fault or negligence.

"Under the terms of the agreement, Mr. Sinner will serve his period of ineligibility from 9 February 2025 to 11:59 pm on 4 May 2025 (which includes a credit for four days previously served by the athlete while he was under a provisional suspension). As per the Code Article 10.14.2, Mr. Sinner may return to official training activity from 13 April 2025," WADA said in a statement.

"WADA accepts that Mr. Sinner did not intend to cheat and that his exposure to clostebol did not provide any performance-enhancing benefit and took place without his knowledge as the result of negligence of members of his entourage.

"However, under the Code and by virtue of CAS precedent, an athlete bears responsibility for the entourage's negligence."

WADA formally withdrew its appeal to CAS after they reached a settlement.