Tennis chiefs respond to Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic over Jannik Sinner questions
Jannik Sinner was found to have "bore no fault or negligence" for two anti-doping violations.
The International Tennis Integrity Agency has defended the management of Jannik Sinner’s doping case.
The world No. 1 was found to have “bore no fault or negligence” after twice testing positive for the banned substance clostebol in March. He received provisional suspensions for both offences but quickly appealed them both, with three experts finding his contamination explanation plausible.
A hearing was held on August 15 and, five days later, an independent tribunal ruled that the Italian had “no fault or negligence”. News of his positive tests only broke when the panel’s ruling was announced.
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Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic are among those who have called out the “inconsistencies” in his case, as news of the tests was not announced until after his independent tribunal took place last month. Federer said: “I understand the frustration of, 'Has he been treated the same as others?' And I think this is where it comes down to.”
Djokovic also raised concerns, saying: “I understand the frustration of the players is there because of lack of consistency.” Several players have also questioned why Sinner could keep competing while others have served provisional suspensions while waiting for their hearings.
The British chief of the ITIA, Karen Moorehouse, has now responded to the controversy. “In this case, given the facts and that the [scientific] experts we instructed were in agreement with the explanation provided by the player, it was perhaps less complex, which means we were able to run the full process over four or five months,” she told The Times, noting that his status “absolutely” did not spark any exceptions.
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Moorehouse continued: “We did, as part of that, run a really thorough investigation. The player and a large number of his entourage were interviewed, some on multiple occasions, to make sure we had fully investigated the explanation provided, so we could be sure the case was correctly presented to a tribunal.
“The outcome is driven by the facts, the science, not the world ranking next to the player’s name.”
Others who have tested positive for banned substances have often waited longer to have their cases heard by an independent tribunal. But the ITIA chief explained that Sinner’s case was resolved quicker because their scientists didn’t dispute his contamination argument.
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Moorhouse also addressed how unusual it was for provisional suspension appeals to be upheld. But Sinner’s team was reportedly able to explain the positive tests “within a matter of hours” on the day they learned of them.
The world No. 1’s fitness trainer Umberto Ferrara bought over-the-counter spray Trofodermi - which contains clostebol - in Italy. His physiotherapist Giacomo Naldi then cut his finger on a scalpel during Indian Wells and used Ferrera’s Trofodermi spray each morning for just over a week.
He continued to massage Sinner without wearing gloves. The 23-year-old often has small cuts and sores on his back and feet. And three experts ruled this was a plausible explanation for contamination, lifting his provisional suspensions. The independent tribunal panel also accepted this explanation.
