Recent footage appearing on social media shows that Jannik Sinner may have already violated his bombshell doping ban – as Nick Kyrgios again takes aim at the world number one.
Sinner, who claimed victory at the Australian Open last month, will serve the suspension from 9 February until 4 May after reaching a settlement with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) over his two positive doping tests last year.
WADA appealed an initial decision by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) who cleared the Italian of any wrongdoing after he tested positive on two occasions.
Sinner will miss neither the French Open or Wimbledon and return just in time for his home event, the Italian Open.
According to a prominent tennis account on social media, Sinner ‘cannot train at any official Tennis facility or with any active tennis player until April 13. He is not allowed to play in any Tennis events until May 4.’
However, footage has appeared on social media showing the Italian star training on courts in Doha in violation of those terms.
Jannik Sinner will not be able to play tennis until May 4 after being hit with a three-month ban
Angry tennis fans questioned why he was on the court.
‘If he was banned effective Feb 9, how was he allowed to practice on the courts on Feb 13?’ posted one on X.
‘Thought he was banned from pro tournaments from 9th Feb?’ said another.
Meanwhile, Nick Kyrgios has been scathing of the three-month doping ban, calling it a ‘sad day’ for the game.
On Sunday afternoon he again took aim at Sinner, posting to X: ‘So you were innocent and we were getting fed that you were innocent but now you are suspended from playing the sport? Make it make sense. I’ve got multiple players in my DM’s on how putrid this is (laughing emoji) even Grand slam champions. Cooked.’
In a statement released by his lawyers, Sinner said: ‘This case had been hanging over me 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.
‘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 on the basis of a three-month sanction.’
Tennis’s anti-doping body, the Tennis Integrity Agency, had accepted Sinner’s explanation that the banned substance clostebol entered his system via a cream applied to a cut on his physio’s hand.
Nick Kyrgios says multiple players have contacted him about how ‘putrid’ the doping ban is
They judged he bore ‘no fault or negligence’ and issued no suspension. WADA appealed, seeking a ban because they believe the judgement should have been: ‘no significant fault or negligence’.
In August last year, Sinner denied allegations that he was given special treatment – and insists his conscience is clean – after he avoided a ban.
‘Of course I was worried, because it was the first time for me, you know, and hopefully the last time that I am in this situation,’ Sinner continued. ‘I believe I’m a fair player on and off the court… in my mind I know that I haven’t done anything wrong.’
Sinner insisted he ‘always will respect these rules of anti-doping’ and denied that he has been treated as a special case. ‘Every player who gets tested positive has to go through the same process. There is no shortcut, there is no different treatment,’ he said.
‘I know sometimes the frustration of other players obviously. But maybe because they got suspended is they didn’t know exactly where it comes from, also what substance, but the main reason is where it comes from and how it entered in his own system.’
The International Tennis Integrity Agency announced that, although Sinner was docked 400 ranking points and $250,000 dollars, he was found to bear ‘no fault or negligence’.
The 23-year-old first tested positive during the event in Indian Wells on March 10, then again eight days later.
Sinner was provisionally suspended, but on both occasions he successfully appealed and was allowed to continue playing while the tribunal assessed the evidence. But after a lengthy, behind-close-doors investigation, the player’s reason for the extremely small quantity of clostebol in his system – less than a billionth of a gram – was accepted.
