Jannik Sinner has accepted a 3-month ban after settling with WADA ahead of their April court hearing date. The current world #1 will be sidelined until the Rome Masters. We'll cover why this outcome made sense for both sided and what the implication is for the ATP rankings and Jannik Sinner's legacy.
The official statement from WADA is as follows: “WADA accepts the athlete’s explanation for the cause of the violation as outlined in the first instance decision. WADA accepts that Mr. Sinner did not intend to cheat, and that his exposure to clostebol did not provide any performance-enhancing benefit and took place without his knowledge as the result of negligence of members of his entourage. However, under the Code and by virtue of CAS precedent, an athlete bears responsibility for the entourage’s negligence. Based on the unique set of facts of this case, a three-month suspension is deemed to be an appropriate outcome.”
Jannik Sinner's statement: ""This case had been hanging over me now for nearly a year and the process still had a long time to run with a decision maybe only at the end of the year. I have always accepted that I am responsible for my team and realise WADA's strict rules are an important protection for the sport I love. On that basis I have accepted WADA's offer to resolve these proceedings on the basis of a 3-month sanction."