Rome – Positive for doping but innocent. There is a storm brewing around Jannik Sinner, the first Italian tennis player to become world number 1, put on trial for a double test that found traces (albeit minimal) of an anabolic steroid and however cleared by the Tennis Anti-Doping Agency for “involuntary contamination”. The verdict came on August 15ththree weeks after withdrawing from Paris 2024 due to “tonsillitis”. The whole affair, evidently covered by the privacy of the long proceedings underway from spring until shortly after the Games, is only now emerging.
The champion from Sesto Pusteria has not been disqualified, after winning the Cincinnati tournament last night he will be able to play the US Open starting on Monday. But the decision of Itia “is appealable by Wada and Nado”, that is, the world and Italian anti-doping agencies. So the sword of Damocles of another proceeding remains: it remains to be seen whether the dynamics of the accident will convince others as well. “Now I will leave this difficult and deeply unfortunate period behind me.“, the words of the Italian, who made the whole story known, at the same time as the Itia, five days after the acquittal and perhaps not by chance after having overcome the obstacle of the American tournament, in which he still had to face physical difficulties. Sinner’s legal team says it is convinced that the matter is closed – “there is no doubt that Sinner is innocent, the Itia has not questioned this key principle -, but the final word will be up to Wada.
The same, heavy unknown has accompanied him throughout the summer, between the victory in Miami, the arrival at No. 1 in the ranking, the physical problems and the withdrawals in Rome first and then at the Games, where a possible conviction would have had a devastating effect. It all started when he was informed of the two positive tests: the first in a test on March 10 in Indian Wells, the second eight days later away from competition.
Both for Costebol, less than a billionth of a gram. Sinner, explains the Itia, was suspended as a precautionary measure both times but was then able to play by appealing to an independent tribunal, a move that automatically stopped the precautionary measure. Thus began a long investigation, with numerous ‘interviews’ with the tennis player (very “collaborative”, according to all parties) and his staff. Then on August 15, the decision of an independent tribunal: Sinner “innocent”, his was an “unintentional contamination”.
The explanation that convinced the judges? A physiotherapist on staff allegedly bought a healing ointment in an Italian pharmacy, for a cut on his finger, not knowing that it contained Costebol. Then he ‘manipulated’ Sinner’s body without gloves, coming into contact with some skin lesions. Hence the minimal quantity. For the principle of objective responsibility, Sinner ‘agreed to give up the prize money and ATP points (400) of Indian Wells.
A solution that is not liked by Nicholas Pietrangeli: “He is innocent but he was punished, but if it was accidental, I wonder, why were the points and money taken away from him? It is unacceptable”. Without evoking parallel cases of “involuntary contamination” (the most famous, Borriello-Belem), a precedent for Costebol touched the Atalanta defender Palomino: suspended 4 months and then completely exonerated. Things did not go well for Sara Errani, suspended in 2019 for 8 months for a hormone stimulator (letrozole): she blamed the tortellini prepared by her grandmother, she was not believed.
“It’s ridiculous, Sinner should have been stopped for two years”, attacks the Australian Kyrgiosformer player of the circuit. While the British media are insinuating the doubt that Sinner’s long injury breaks (27 days between Madrid and Paris, the stop in Rome) are somehow connected to the ongoing proceedings. For his part, Sinner reiterates maximum “respect for the anti-doping rules” and wants to look forward. He does so after having won his fifth tournament of the year and consolidated his lead at the top of the ATP rankings.
“It’s been a tough week,” Sinner said after beating Tiafoe 7-6 (7/4), 6-2 in the final on the Cincinnati hard court. “I’ve had a lot of ups and downs this week,” he later admitted. Now it’s important to recover and be ready for New York, for the US Open.. That’s our main goal for this part of the season in North America. I hope to be able to show some good tennis in Flushing Meadows. I want to thank my team for always being there for me, even in difficult moments, and we’ve had a few of those lately.” And not just on the court.
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