It seemed like Jannik Sinner’s doping case was left behind after the Italian won the 2024 US Open. However, the World Anti Doping Agency (WADA) re-opened the case after considering that the World No 1 needs to be suspended for 1 or 2 years. The news has shaken the tennis world once again with Carlos Alcaraz also weighing in the case.
“It isn’t a good sign for tennis, in general,” said Alcaraz about WADA’s appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), after his 6-1, 6-2 win against Tallon Griekspoor at the China Open. “It seemed like the case was close, and now, after a month, it’s open again, which is surprising,” he added.
However, Alcaraz still wished the “best” for the Italian, while also praising him for his “impressive” state of form despite everything that he is going through. The Spaniard recently commented that he wanted to have a long rivalry with Sinner, similar to the one between the Big 3.
Sinner was found to bear “no fault or negligence” by an independent tribunal of the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) after he tested twice positive for low levels of clostebol back in March 2024, while he played in Indian Wells.
Jannik Sinner at 2024 China Open (Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)
The Italian lost the 400 ATP points and the prize money ($325,000) he got by getting into semifinals of the tournament, which he lost precisely to Alcaraz in two sets. However, he didn’t get any suspension and was able to keep playing all year.
Sinner says he has ‘nothing to hide’
Sinner, who is set to meet Jiri Lehecka Monday in his next match in China, released a statement expressing his disappointment on WADA’s decision to appeal the ITIA. “Over the past few months and throughout this process there have been three separate hearings in each case confirming my innocence,” he wrote.
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The Italian explained that after “several months of interviews and investigations culminated in three senior judges scrutinizing every detail through a formal hearing. They issued an in-depth judgment explaining why they determined me not at fault, with clear evidence provided and my cooperation throughout.”
“On the back of such a robust process, both the ITIA and the Italian anti-doping authority accepted it and waived their rights to appeal,” he said. However, while he “understands” that these cases “need to be thoroughly investigated to maintain the integrity of the sport we all love,” it is “difficult to see what will be gained by asking a different set of three judges to look at the same facts and documentation all over again.”
“This being said, I have nothing to hide, and as I have done throughout the summer, I will cooperate fully with the appeal process and provide whatever may be needed to prove my innocence once again,” Sinner concluded.
