World number one Jannik Sinner has accepted a three-month suspension from tennis after admitting that mistakes by his team led to two positive tests for traces of the banned substance clostebol in March last year.
The suspension, running from February 9 to May 4, allows him to return in time for the French Open, which begins on May 25 at Roland Garros.
Sinner, the reigning Australian Open champion, maintained that clostebol entered his system when his physiotherapist used a spray containing the substance to treat a cut before administering a massage.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) confirmed that Sinner had no intent to cheat and did not gain a competitive advantage from the positive tests.
“This case had been hanging over me now for nearly a year, and the process still had a long time to run with a decision, maybe only at the end of the year,” Sinner said in a statement.
“I have always accepted that I am responsible for my team and realise WADA’s strict rules are an important protection for the sport I love. On that basis, I have accepted WADA’s offer to resolve these proceedings based on a 3-month sanction.”
WADA reiterated that while Sinner did not intentionally dope, he remains accountable for his team’s actions. His suspension means he will miss key tournaments, but he will be able to return in time for the Rome Open, the final major clay-court event before Roland Garros.
