WADA appeals Jannik Sinner’s doping case, seeking a 1-2 year ban for the top-ranked tennis player.

Top tennis player Jannik Sinner said he was “deeply disappointed and surprised” after the decision to remove him from the ban following two doping tests was forwarded by the World Anti-Doping Agency.

The Montreal-based body known as WADA announced on Saturday that it was seeking a one-to-two year ban from the US Open champion but indicated that it did not plan to overturn the ban – which would mean Sinner could retain his second Grand. The subject of the slam or found guilty.

The announcement was made while Sinner was on court against Roman Safiullin at the China Open in Beijing.

“Obviously, I’m very disappointed and surprised by this appeal, to be honest, because we had three hearings. All three scenes came out very well for me,” said the 23-year-old Sinner after beating Safiullin.

“You know, I didn’t expect it. I knew a few days ago, that they would appeal, that today it would go official, so … it’s surprising,” added the Italian. “We always talk about the same thing. Maybe they want to make sure everything is in the right place. Yeah, I’m surprised they appealed.”

The offender was tested twice for anabolic steroids in March but was not banned in the decision of the independent court announced by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) last month because it decided that he was not guilty.

The accepted explanation for the culprit was that a banned performance enhancer had accidentally entered his system through a massage by his physiotherapist, who had used a steroid spray to treat his cut finger.

WADA said it had filed an appeal on Thursday with the Switzerland-based Court of Arbitration for Sport.

“It is WADA’s view that the finding of ‘no fault or negligence’ was incorrect under the applicable laws,” WADA said in a statement. “WADA wants a period of ineligibility between one and two years. WADA does not want any results to be revoked, other than those already imposed by the original body.”

WADA suggested that the rules were not properly followed even though prosecutor Nicolas Zbinden of the tennis integrity organization – which accepted Sinner’s version of events – is a lawyer who regularly works in high-profile cases of the global watchdog, including the successful appeal against the Russian skater Kamila. Valieva.

A decision could come quickly

A decision on an appeal at CAS can come quickly – even within a few months – if the parties agree to cooperate. At least that’s how it worked in another high-profile doping case in tennis involving Maria Sharapova.

However, the case will not be resolved before Sinner begins the defense of his Australian Open title in January. The offender may continue to play while the appeal is being heard.

Sharapova tested positive for HIV at the Australian Open in January 2016 with the recently discontinued heart medication meldonium. He was banned for two years in June of that year by the International Tennis Federation.

The Russian star appealed to CAS, had a trial in New York before three judges in September, and four weeks later received a ruling that reduced his ban to 15 months.

Sharapova’s entire process with CAS took just four months – much shorter than most doping cases, which last around one year. The timeline can be disrupted by the difficulty of selecting a jury panel, finding a trial date and the parties exchanging documents and testimony from expert witnesses.

During a court hearing in Indian Wells in March, Sinner tested positive for low levels of a Clostebol metabolite, a banned anabolic steroid that can be used for ophthalmic and dermatological uses. It’s the same drug that San Diego Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. we were suspended by MLB in 2022.

The offender was retested eight days later on an out-of-competition sample.

He was temporarily suspended by the tennis integrity organization because of those test results, but he successfully appealed twice to an independent panel judge and was allowed to continue competing on tour.

Over the counter spray

Sinner said his test results came about because his fitness trainer bought an over-the-counter spray called Trofodermin in Italy that contained Clostebol and gave it to Sinner’s physiotherapist to treat a cut on the physiotherapist’s finger. The physiotherapist then treated Sinner without wearing gloves.

Investigations determined that Sinner had a small amount of the steroid in his system, a point Sinner demonstrated during a press conference before the US Open when he used eight fingers to count the number of zeros before the “1” in the amount: .000000001″

The ITIA said it accepted Sinner’s explanation, after 10 discussions with the player and his team, and the independent panel agreed to a hearing on August 15.

The decision by the tennis integrity organization ordered Sinner to forfeit US$325,000 in prize money and the 400 ranking points he earned from the tournament in Indian Wells.

The criminal later announced that he had fired two of his coaches.

“We trust them a lot [CAS]who should have the last word in the case,” said Angelo Binaghi, president of the Italian tennis and padel federation. “I am sure that the only outcome of the WADA appeal will be positive. Because it will reveal his innocence.”