Jannik Sinner will not be able to play for three months and will return to action at the Rome Masters 1000, the last major event before Roland Garros. The Italian ace agreed to negotiate with WADA and avoid the trial before the CAS in Lausanne, aware that the time would have been very long and that he would have risked a suspension of at least a year.
The 23-year-old from Sesto Pusteria will have to miss four Masters 1000 (Indian Wells, Miami, Monte Carlo and Madrid), but his participation in the second Grand Slam of the 2025 season is safe. Jannik – who won the Australian Open at the beginning of the year – dreams of completing the ‘Calendar Grand Slam’ and his lawyers assessed that this suspension was the lesser evil given the circumstances.
The 3-time Grand Slam champion will not be able to practice until April 13 and his suspension will last until May 4. Sinner had already arrived in Doha – where he had started training ahead of the prestigious ATP 500 scheduled for next week – but this agreement turned the situation upside down and forced him to return home.
Panatta on Sinner’s suspension
This news has sparked countless reactions in every corner of the world. Italian legend Adriano Panatta – who has always defended the world number 1 – expressed his opinion on this agreement to the microphones of ‘Rai News 24’: “I believe that his team of lawyers has opted for the most practical choice, averting the risk of a one-year suspension.
He will miss a few tournaments, but his participation in the French Open and Wimbledon is safe. I still consider it an injustice, but at least it serves to put an end to a controversy that had stretched too long and that had undermined his serenity.”
Panatta continued: “Three months are not a drama. WADA has insisted a lot on this story to claim his role and has reiterated the principle of strict liability, but it is clear to everyone that Jannik is not to blame in this story.”
Tennis World USA