Jannik Sinner escapes drugs ban after twice testing positive | Tennis | Sport

Jannik Sinner has dodged a drugs ban after a tribunal found that the world No.1 was ‘not at fault or negligent’ in relation to two failed tests in March this year. Sinner’s adverse results have been put down to contamination while receiving a bare-handed massage from his physiotherapist.

Scientific experts accepted the claim that Sinner was exposed to the banned anabolic steroid, Clostebol, via a healing spray that his physio, Giacomo Naldi, had been using to treat a cut.

An independent panel found that the size of the trace – less than a billionth of a gram – would not have had a performance-enhancing effect when it was discovered in Sinner’s urine during the Indian Wells Open.

“I will now put this challenging and deeply unfortunate period behind me,” said Sinner. “I will continue to do everything I can to ensure I continue to comply with the ITIA’s anti-doping programme and I have a team around me that are meticulous in their own compliance.”

In some cases, unintentional anti-doping violations can result in a ban of up to two years. Sinner has been docked the 400 ranking points and £250,000 prize money he earned for reaching the semi-finals at Indian Wells, but he is free to continue playing immediately, starting with the US Open next week.

Sinner’s ranking points hit will have no bearing on his standing at the top of the men’s world rankings, in which he holds a commanding lead over his nearest challenger, Novak Djokovic.

Jamie Singer, Sinner’s lawyer, also spoke out on the ITIA’s ruling, saying: “Anti-doping rules have to be very strict to be effective. Sadly the unfortunate consequence is that, occasionally, entirely innocent athletes get caught up in them.

“There is no question that Jannik is innocent in this case. The ITIA did not challenge that key principle. However, under strict liability rules Jannik is responsible for whatever is in his system, even when entirely unaware of it, as in this exceptional case.”

A relieved Sinner will head into the year’s final Grand Slam at Flushing Meadows brimming with confidence after an impressive win at the Cincinnati Masters. The Italian cast aside Andrey Rublev and Alexander Zverev before toppling Frances Tiafoe in straight sets in the final – all while nursing a hip injury.

“Now, for sure, it’s important to recover, to be ready for New York,” Sinner said. “This is our main goal here for this US swing.”