Jannik Sinner might take some encouragement before the appeal hearing into his doping case from the US Anti-Doping Agency’s (USADA) chief, who argued that the ATP world No. 1 is not a doper.
Sinner twice tested positive for the prohibited substance clostebol at March’s Indian Wells Open. After a private five-month investigation, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) determined that he bore no fault for what happened.
The ITIA accepted Sinner’s explanation that the clostebol accidentally entered his system because his physiotherapist at the time gave him massages after using a spray containing traces of the prohibited substance.
In October, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) appealed the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). WADA does not dispute Sinner’s explanation of how the accidental contamination occurred but argues he bears some fault for it.
After a few months of uncertainty, Sinner recently discovered that his CAS hearing case will take place on April 16th and 17th. That will disrupt his schedule regardless of the outcome since he was scheduled to play at a tournament during that week.
However, USADA’s chief, Travis Tygart, who famously prosecuted the cyclist Lance Armstrong and ensured he received a lifetime ban from the sport, told Daily Maverick that he does not think Sinner is a doper and the ITIA’s verdict was entirely appropriate.
“If he (Sinner) is a doper, which I don’t think he is based on the facts that have been put out there, then a “no fault” finding was a perfectly appropriate outcome based on the rules and the facts.
Tygart believes Sinner’s explanation mentioned above, which the ITIA or WADA does not dispute, shows he did nothing wrong. The USADA chief’s track record of prosecuting others he believes are guilty means his opinion has a lot of merit.
He also rejected that Sinner was given preferential treatment by the ITIA. Tygart compared his case to how WADA treated 23 Chinese swimmers who tested positive for TMZ, a heart medication, arguing that was a genuine case of a governing body not doing its duty.
Tygart’s comments could be some relief to Sinner as he tries to focus on his ongoing Australian Open campaign. The USADA chief’s strong words about WADA also raise questions about how much the governing body can be trusted in all cases.
Elena Rybakina’s coach, Goran Ivanisevic, has expressed disdain for those who work for WADA and hopes Sinner does not receive a ban.
