World number one Jannik Sinner has been cleared of any
wrongdoing after twice testing positive for a banned substance in March.
The Italian tested positive for low levels of a metabolite
of clostebol - a steroid that can be used to build muscle mass - during Indian
Wells.
A further sample taken eight days later also tested positive
for low levels of the same metabolite.
A provisional suspension was applied automatically but, as
Sinner challenged it successfully, he was able to keep playing.
The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) found
Sinner was inadvertently contaminated with the substance by Giacomo Naldi, his
physiotherapist.
Naldi had been applying an over-the-counter spray available
in Italy to a cut on his own hand and had then carried out treatments on
Sinner.
The ITIA accepted the explanation and that the violation was
not intentional.
Sinner was cleared of fault or negligence by an independent
tribunal last week, but he will lose the ranking points and prize money from
his semi-final run at Indian Wells.
“I will now put this challenging and deeply unfortunate
period behind me," Sinner said in a statement.
"I will continue to do everything I can to ensure I
continue to comply with the ITIA's anti-doping programme.
"I have a team around me that are meticulous in their
own compliance."
Clostebol, often found in products to treat swelling and
irritation, is on the World Anti-Doping Agency's list of prohibited substances.
The decision not to sanction Sinner following the positive
tests has been criticised on social media by a number of players including
Australian Nick Kyrgios, Britain's Liam Broady and Canada's Denis Shapovalov.
Australian Open champion Sinner will be the top seed at the
US Open, which begins on Monday.
What happened?
Sinner was ruled to bear no fault or negligence for the
positive tests.
The ITIA described the levels found in Sinner's sample as
"low". His lawyers said it amounted to "less than a billionth of
a gram".
The full decision, published
by the ITIA,, external states that Naldi cut the finger of
his left hand on a scalpel in his treatment bag on 3 March.
Naldi bandaged the cut and unwrapped it two days later.
Umberto Ferrara, Sinner's fitness coach, recommended the physio use a medical
spray Ferrara had bought in an Italian pharmacy in February on the cut.
The physio said he did not check the contents of the spray,
which he used every morning from 5-13 March, with Indian Wells taking place
from 6-17 March.
Between those dates, Naldi gave Sinner full-body massages
and applied bandages to his feet. He did not wear gloves while carrying out the
treatments.
Sinner stated that he suffers from a skin condition on his
feet and back that leads to scratching and can cause small cuts and lesions in
the affected areas.
On the morning of 10 March, Naldi treated Sinner's feet and
ankle. He said he would have applied the spray twice that morning, and that he
"cannot remember" washing his hands between spraying his finger and
treating Sinner's feet.
Sinner and his team co-operated fully with the
investigation.
The ITIA accepted Sinner had no knowledge of either the
spray or that it contained a prohibited substance, and did not know Naldi had
used it on his cut finger.
Three independent experts also concluded Sinner's explanation
was plausible, with one stating the amount administered "would not have
had... any relevant doping, or performance enhancing, effect on the
player".
The ITIA stated that the violation was not intentional
before referring the case to an independent tribunal to determine "what,
if any, fault the player bore and therefore the appropriate outcome".
The independent tribunal subsequently determined a finding
of no fault or negligence, meaning the 23-year-old would not be suspended.
However, he will lose his 400 ranking points and $325,000
prize money from Indian Wells.
The ruling is also subject to any appeal by Wada.
Why could Sinner carry on playing?
Under the World Anti-Doping Cope, a provisional suspension
is automatically applied when a player tests positive for a non-specified
substance.
Players have the right to apply to an independent tribunal
chair to have that suspension lifted.
On both occasions, Sinner appealed successfully against the
suspension and was able to provide an explanation of how the substance had
entered his system.
The ITIA subsequently consulted with scientific experts, who
said Sinner's explanation was credible, and as a result, they did not oppose
his appeal against his provisional suspension.
What has the ITIA said?
Karen Moorhouse, the chief executive of the ITIA, said the
body took any positive test "extremely seriously and will always apply the
rigorous processes set out by Wada".
"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," she said.
"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."
Sinner's lawyer, Jamie Singer, said: "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."
The ATP Tour - the governing body of men's tennis - said
integrity is "paramount in our sport".
"This has been a challenging matter for Jannik and his
team, and underscores the need for players and their entourages to take utmost
care in the use of products or treatments," a statement added.
