Top-ranked men's tennis professional Giannik Thinner was suspended by the global anti-doping agency (WADA) after testing positive twice against anabolic steroids that were banned almost a year ago. The banned news comes just weeks after the Italian tennis pro won his third Grand Slam title.
In a statement on Saturday, Wada announced it agreed to the conclusion of the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) that it discovered that the offenders did not intentionally use prohibited substances for competitive interests. .
Italian Giannik Sinner is active during a match against Marcos Giron in the United States during the third round of the men's singles held at the 2025 Australian Open in Melbourne Park on January 18, 2025. (Mike Frey-Imagn image)
“WADA accepts the athlete's explanation of the cause of the violation, as outlined in the decision of the first instance,” the statement read.
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“Wada accepted that Mr. Sinner did not attempt to cheate, nor did his exposure to Crossteborg provide any benefits to improve performance, and that he had taken place without his knowledge as a result of the negligence of his close aide members. Masu.”
The 23-year-old sinner tested low levels of metabolites of Crossteborg, a banned anabolic steroid that can be used for ophthalmic and dermatological use in March 2024. Competition sample.
ITIA's original findings explain that thinner tested positive after receiving a massage from a trainer who used a commercial spray containing a crossteborg to treat small wounds after cutting his finger. did.
Jannik Sinner will play in the men's singles final of the 2024 US Open Tennis Tournament, held at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York on September 8th, 2024. (Imaginary by Robert Deutsch-Immagn)
Jannik Sinner wins Australia's Open for the second consecutive time
WADA accepted a non-disability explanation, but the organization said a three-month suspension was necessary as “athletes are responsible for the negligence of their aides.” WADA initially challenged the ITIA's decision to suspend, and sought a one-year ban minimum before agreeing to settle the three-month suspension.
Wada said that in this case the sinner's victory will not be revoked due to ITIA's discovery that a positive test result does not provide a competitive advantage.
The sinner issued a statement on Saturday accepting Wada's discipline.
“The incident had been hanging from me for almost a year now, but the process still took a long time to run on a decision only at the end of the year,” he said. “I've always accepted my team's responsibility and I realized that Wada's strict rules are important protections for the sport I love. Based on that, I've been able to get a 3 month old. We have accepted WADA's offer to settle these cases under the sanctions.”
Italian Giannik Sinner is active during the match against Ben Shelton of the United States in the men's singles semi-finals held at the 2025 Australian Open in Melbourne Park on January 24, 2025. (Mike Frey-Imagn image)
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Thinner's doping scandal received mixed reactions from the tennis community, but Saturday's announcement was filled with overwhelming disappointment from the sport's biggest stars.
Among the most outspoken critics was Australian tennis star Nick Krilgios.
“So Wada comes out and says that it's going to be a ban for 1-2 years,” Krylgios said in a post on X. , there are no prizes.
The thinner suspension will continue until May 4th. He will not miss the Italian Open or any remaining Grand Slam tournaments.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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