Inside the doping deal for tennis’ world number one

He has won the past two tennis Grand Slams – but less than a month after his Australian Open victory Jannik Sinner is the talk of tennis, after agreeing a doping deal which has seen him banned for three months.

The French Open will be held in Paris as the men’s world number one prepares for the following major. Convenient, claim critics.

The controversial agreement between the Italian’s legal team and the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) officials has prompted accusations of favouritism and led to some players questioning their faith in clean sport.

What actually transpired in the background? And how might this case affect anti-doping?

Sinner was practicing in Doha a little over a week ago as he prepared to play in the Qatar Open.

But he knew things might change quickly.

He was being considered for a spot in that tournament and the following months on tour behind the scenes.

Jamie Singer, Sinner’s attorney, spent a lot of time calling Wada’s most senior lawyer during what ended up being a “late night” on February 14.

Then, early the following morning, the surprise news emerged that the three-time Grand Slam champion had accepted an immediate three-month ban.

Sinner and Wada said they had “entered into a case resolution agreement” following his two drug-test failures in March.

This unique mechanism, which has been in place for the past four years, allows for the conclusion of doping agreements.

How can you persuade the world’s number one player to accept a ban for an offense he denies?

That was the task that Sinner’s team had to overcome.

To understand the extent of that we have to rewind to August when an independent tribunal cleared him of wrongdoing.

It accepted Sinner’s claim that his body had accidentally contaminated his physio while he was being massaged, resulting in the release of clostebol, a prohibited anabolic steroid.

Wada filed an appeal against Sinner’s panel’s finding that the tribunal had “bore no fault or negligence,” despite not contesting the tribunal’s overall decision.

However, this would have carried a ban of “one to two years” at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas).

Wada initially demanded this punishment in public, but eventually Wada’s officials decided against it.

Wada approached Sinner’s team regarding the case resolution agreement as the clock was ticking before the Cas hearing in April.

The first attempt was rebuffed as Sinner’s team wanted to submit the full defence case first.

That was handed over on January 31; in early February, the second approach sparked the start of the “concrete discussions.”

Would Sinner consent to a three-month suspension if he knew he would be free of a ban and that he would always be assured of his innocence?

His lawyer Singer said it was “quite tricky” to convince Sinner to take the offer.

He said, “Well, look, maybe we should settle for three months,” but he was saying, “Well, if the first independent tribunal determined there was no ban at all, why would I accept three months now”? Singer said, “,”

“My advice was ‘ one never knows what’s going to happen at a hearing, we know that Wada are pushing for a year, if we don’t accept their offer then they will go to court looking for a year and who knows what those three judges could do’.

Wada felt the independent tribunal should have punished Sinner for strict liability – that he was ultimately responsible for failing the two drugs tests.

The “important principle that athletes do in fact bear responsibility for the actions of their entourage” was argued by its officials as the key to preventing a suspension.

So why did Wada agree to give Sinner a three-month ban?

Wada’s general counsel Ross Wenzel said there wasn’t a” fundamental change “in how the agency viewed the case, but it came down to what it considered fair.

According to Wendyel, “This case was a million miles away from doping.”

This could not be a case of intentional doping, including micro-dosing, according to the scientific consensus that we received.

Had the case gone to Cas, the outcome would have either been a ban of at least a year or Sinner being cleared.

Wenzel said, “I’m not sure whether a 12-month sanction in this case would have been a good outcome” if we had forced the tribunal to accept that position.

Under the code, “one would have compromised a crucial principle.” The other one, in our view, would have been an unduly harsh sanction. “

Since 2021, case resolutions have been permitted, according to Wenzel, who claims Wada has since reached 67 agreements.

As of 2027, the code will change, resulting in cases where players, like Sinner, have failed tests but were found not to be at fault. This would result in a two-year ban.

Some influential players continue to think that Sinner’s status has led to his receiving preferential treatment.

Both the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) and Wada flatly reject any suggestion that is the case.

However, it is obvious that Sinner and five-time major champion Iga Swiatek, who were both given a one-month suspension last year after testing positive for the heart medication trimetazidine, have benefited from being paid quickly by top attorneys.

Novak Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam champion, said, “A majority of the players don’t feel that’s fair.”

” It appears that you can almost affect the outcome if you are a top player, if you have access to the top lawyers. “

Sinner’s attorney claimed that using an “unusual” legal strategy would have helped to bring the case to a resolution.

Jannik, according to Singer, “did not challenge the rules, he didn’t challenge the science, he didn’t challenge the test, he didn’t challenge the rules from day one.”

” He accepted, even though it’s a trace – it’s a billionth of a gram – he accepted that he was liable for what was in his body.

“And so we didn’t waste time and money on those challenges, which were typically brought up by defense attorneys, in the sink.”

We simply focused on the evidence of what actually happened, and when we did, we quickly and clearly demonstrated what had happened.

Singer was also aware that the timing of the ban was as good as it could possibly be.

You can’t control when these things happen, he said, and we can’t get away from that.

That made me think more about Wada’s offer because they approached us and there won’t be any Grand Slams in three months.

Several players believe the timing was suspiciously convenient, with Britain’s Liam Broady saying it had impacted Sinner’s career as” little as possible”.

Wenzel insisted that the deal was not made with the tennis calendar in mind when asked directly why it had happened.

Wenzel claimed that the Cas proceedings had taken place on February 14 or 15, and that it had been decided on Friday, “because of the timing of the Cas proceedings,” It was a very late night, and it came into effect immediately, so that is the reason for the timing. “

The Professional Tennis Players’ Association (PTPA), a group that Djokovic co-founded and aims to increase player power, believes the system lacks “transparence,” process, and consistency.

According to the PTPA, “Supposed case-by-case discretion is, in fact, merely cover for customized deals, unfair treatment, and inconsistent rulings,” according to a statement.

” It’s time for change. “

Another talking point has centred around why Sinner’s former physio and trainer – who were both deemed responsible for clostebol entering the player’s system – have not faced any action from the authorities.

Umberto Ferrara, a fitness trainer, used a well-known over-the-counter spray to treat a cut on his own hand, according to physio Giacomo Naldi.

In Italy, a wide range of skin abrasions, cuts, and wounds are treated with Trofodermin.

It contains Clostebol, a steroid that can build muscle mass and enhance athletic performance.

The independent tribunal found no evidence that Naldi or Ferrara had purposefully broken the doping laws.

A visible “doping” warning must be included on the packaging on Trofodermine in Italy, per Italian law.

Over the past few years several Italian athletes – across tennis, football and athletics – have tested positive for clostebol.

Although Sinner and Naldi and Ferrara have since split, players, including Broady, have openly inquired as to why the group of one of the best players in the world could have made such a mistake.

On May 5, just before the Italian Open in Rome and the French Open in Paris, Sinner is permitted to return to competitive action.

If Sinner doesn’t interact with other professional players, he can practice there until April 13th.

Under Wada rules, he can start ‘ official training activity ‘ from 13 April.

Before the ban is lifted on May 5, Sinner is prohibited from competing in any ATP, WTA, or ITF events in any way.

Sinner, who resides in Monte Carlo and has family in northern Italy where he was born, was reported by a member of his team as he assesses the situation since the news of his ban broke a week ago.

If he returns at the Italian Open, Sinner will likely receive a hero’s reception from the home fans who idolise him.

The majority of tennis fans in this country still support him despite believing that the ban is absurd. Italian journalist Daniele Verri told BBC Sport that sinner-mania has not waned.

Whether he will receive that type of support at Roland Garros remains to be seen.

Given the disapproving public’s reaction, many people are skeptical about the locker room’s atmosphere.

However, a source close to Sinner claimed that some of his fellow ATP players had also supported him, citing the comments made by players like Casper Ruud, Matteo Berrettini, and Lorenzo Sonego.

Asked if Sinner was aware of – and upset by – the negative reaction from some players, the team member pointed to Sinner’s repeated comments that he” cannot control what people think or say”.

Jannik is a very resilient young man who is aware that he has done nothing wrong and that the process has gone exactly by the book. So, Singer told BBC Sport, “I think he’s very comfortable in himself.

” He keeps off social media where there are an awful lot of people with a platform, and who don’t necessarily know the facts of the case, or investigate the facts of the case as much as they might do. “

Wada believes that the system has been operational since the Sinner incident.

However, it cannot ignore the fact that some people are extremely uneasy about how the book handled this case despite all the pressure being put on everyone involved.