Lawyer Angelo Cascella, former member of the CAS in Lausanne, expressed his opinion on the controversial Jannik Sinner’s doping issue.
Interviewed by the Italian website Sportmediaset, the expert in international sports law gave his opinion on the thorny case involving the ATP number 1, especially in relation to the new WADA rules.
“Since analyses have been carried out and the existence of doping traces has been demonstrated, the athlete risks a sentence of one to two years. In these cases, there may be intent or fault or negligence. In the first case, the sentence can go up to four years of disqualification, in the second, as requested for Sinner, it goes from one to two years,” he said.
He then continued, explaining the reason for WADA’s appeal to the CAS, highlighting if prohibited substances are found in blood or urine tests that the athlete and staff are perfectly aware of, in this case the athlete is liable. In fact, the athlete is responsible for the substances that are found in his body and, in Sinner’s case, some of them were detected in the tests carried out.
Sinner© Stream screenshot
The new rule, which will come into force in 2027, is a recent development, which could lead to the cancellation of cases like Sinner’s.
“The rule will be in force starting in 2027, which means that it does not affect the decision of this case which is prior. The case will therefore have to be decided on the existing rules. There is a risk of a conviction, but at the same time it is possible that the parties will hear from each other in these months and a settlement agreement can be found on something that is good for both and the hearing can be suspended since it will not arrive before spring 2025,” he added.
After the competitive season ended with the victory of the second Davis Cup in Malaga, attention has returned in recent weeks to the doping case involving Sinner. Unfortunately, we will still have to wait to know the verdict of the CAS on the Clostebol case, but several professionals have spoken out on the subject, giving their opinion.
Tennis World USA