Jannik Sinner, the world No 1 and reigning Australian Open champion, has avoided a potential four-year doping suspension after twice testing positive for a banned substance that he says accidentally entered his system during massage treatments.
An independent tribunal accepted the 23-year-old Italian’s explanation that traces of clostebol, an anabolic steroid found in urine samples taken during and after his run to the Indian Wells semi-finals five months ago, resulted from his physiotherapist’s use of an over-the-counter spray containing the substance to treat a cut on his finger. The physio, Giacomo Naldi, who used the spray before and during the tournament, did not wear gloves while treating Sinner.
The outcome of the case was announced on Tuesday by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), which confirmed Sinner would lose the $325,000 (£250,000) in prize money and 400 rankings points he earned in Indian Wells.
“I will now put this challenging and deeply unfortunate period behind me,” said Sinner in a statement. “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.”
While Sinner was provisionally banned following each of his failed tests, he successfully appealed against the decision on each occasion. He served two brief suspensions, both of which occurred out of competition – first from 4 to 5 April, shortly after his victory at the Miami Open, and then from 17 to 20 April. Neither the failed tests nor the provisional suspensions were made public. In early June, following his run to the French Open semi-finals, Sinner claimed the No 1 ranking for the first time.
According to details outlined in the tribunal decision, Naldi injured his finger on a scalpel while reaching into his treatment bag five days before Sinner’s opening match in Indian Wells. Two days later, on 5 March, he removed the initial bandaging and began treating his wound with Trofodermin, a healing spray containing clostebol.
The spray, which was already unpackaged, was given to Naldi by Sinner’s fitness coach, Umberto Ferrara, who had purchased it in Bologna the previous month. Naldi, who admitted he did not check the medication’s ingredients, used the spray daily until 13 March, during which time he regularly massaged Sinner and carried out treatment to the player’s feet and ankles.
Sinner said in interviews with the ITIA that he did not know Ferrara had the spray, or that it contained a prohibited substance. He also said he was unaware Naldi had used it to treat his finger.
A trio of independent scientific experts confirmed that transdermal contamination was a plausible explanation for the low levels of clostebol metabolites – “less than a billionth of a gram,” said the Sinner camp – detected in the player’s system. “There is no suggestion that the tiny concentration in his system would have had any performance enhancing effect,” stated the tribunal ruling.
“Anti-doping rules have to be very strict to be effective,” said Sinner’s lawyer, Jamie Singer. “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.”
Karen Moorhouse, the ITIA chief executive, said in a statement: “We take any positive test extremely seriously and will always apply the rigorous processes set out by Wada [the World Anti-Doping Agency]. The ITIA carried out a thorough investigation into the circumstances leading to the positive tests, with which Mr Sinner and his representatives fully co-operated.
“Following that investigation, the ITIA accepted the player’s explanation as to the source of the clostebol and that the presence of the substance was not intentional. This was also accepted by the tribunal.
“We thank the independent tribunal for the speed and clarity of its decision in relation to the player’s degree of fault.”
While the ITIA confirmed it would not appeal the decision, it remains subject to appeal by Wada and Nado Italia, the Italian Anti-Doping Agency.
On Monday night, Sinner completed his preparations for next week’s US Open by claiming his second Masters 1000 title of the season in Cincinnati, where he defeated Frances Tiafoe of the United States 7-6 (7-4), 6-2.