The topic of doping is back in the world of tennis this year. The first case that shocked fans around the world was that of Jannik Sinner, who tested positive for Clostebol in two different controls in March (during the Indian Wells Masters 1000).
The Italian ace, who was the best player ever in 2024, immediately understood the origin of his contamination and his provisional suspension was very short indeed. ITIA believed his version of events and the world number 1 was able to continue playing without problems until the sentence of innocence, which was issued shortly before the start of the US Open.
Given these premises and the infinitesimal amount of Clostebol detected in Jannik’s body, almost no one thought that WADA would appeal against the acquittal. Last October, WADA surprised everyone with its appeal that started a new trial.
Jannik Sinner and his team© Jannik Sinner/Instagram – Fair Use
The fate of the 2-time Grand Slam champion will be decided by the CAS in Lausanne, presumably in the second half of February 2025. The 23-year-old from Sesto Pusteria hoped to have finally overcome this ugly story, instead he will have to defend his title at the Australian Open with the nightmare of suffering a disqualification from 12 to 24 months.
A few days ago, the news of Iga Swiatek’s positivity was announced. The Polish champion reconstructed the facts that led to her positivity and received a one-month ban that will end in early December.
Given the caliber of these two players, many insiders have wondered about the anti-doping system. In both Sinner’s and Swiatek’s cases, the amount of substance detected was very small and the thesis of involuntary contamination was accepted.
A delicate issue
Some experts argue that – in the case of such small quantities that are the result of contamination – athletes should not suffer any sanctions. Jannik could receive a very heavy penalty for a case in which he is not at fault and in which he was not negligent.
In an interview with ‘Tennis365’, Ireland’s captain Conor Niland expressed his point of view on this topic: “I think we should look at a threshold for a banned substance. If it’s less than a a billionth of a gram, for me that’s nothing. It gets to the point where you could be walking down the street and someone brushes off you and you could be contaminated.
If this is the amount we are talking about here, this is not something that should tarnish someone’s legacy and the achievements of their career.”
Jannik Sinner, Davis Cup Finals 2024© Stream screenshot
The world number 1 has experienced a very stressful period from March to today and his controversy is still open. The 2-time Grand Slam champion showed that he could not have done anything to avoid contamination and replaced the members of his team responsible for what happened (Umberto Ferrara and Giacomo Naldi).
WADA anticipates changes
This case has had a lot of resonance in the last three months and WADA seems to want to revise some regulations.
During an interview with ‘L’Equipe’, WADA director Olivier Niggli revealed that there could be significant changes in the near future: “Today, we face an issue of contamination. This doesn’t necessarily mean there are more cases now than in the past; rather, labs are more efficient at detecting even infinitesimal amounts of substances. The quantities can be so small that one could inadvertently become contaminated through innocuous activities. We hear many stories, and I understand public perception that we might be too accepting of such situations.”
He continued: “If we wanted to make life easier, we could impose new thresholds and avoid identifying these cases altogether. ‘Are we prepared to accept microdoses?’ That’s the real question. We will need to open a working group to understand how to manage this situation.”
According to the latest rumors, the trial related to Sinner’s case will take place after February 11, 2025. The Italian ace will play the Australian Open from 12 to 26 January, where he will have to defend the title won this year. The 23-year-old from Sesto Pusteria will maintain the first position in the ATP ranking even if he does not win again in Melbourne, having built a wide gap on all his rivals in the ATP ranking.
It is likely that the trial will take place before the American Masters 1000 – Indian Wells and Miami – in which Jannik will have to defend a semifinal (in California) and a victory (in Florida). Unlike in recent years, the Italian may not play the Monte Carlo Masters 1000 to avoid a too sudden transition from hard courts to red clay. It has already been announced that the world No. 1 will play the Munich ATP in 2025.
Tennis World USA