Top-ranked tennis player Jannik Sinner recently faced controversy after testing positive for a prohibited anabolic steroid twice in March, resulting in the loss of prize money and ranking points from a tournament in Indian Wells, California. However, he will not face suspension as an independent tribunal determined that the violation was not intentional.
The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) confirmed the situation on Tuesday. Sinner, who celebrated his 23rd birthday last Friday, is coming off a victory at the Cincinnati Open and is considered a strong contender for the U.S. Open set to begin next week in New York. He first claimed the ATP ranking’s No. 1 position in June and is seen as one of the rising stars alongside Carlos Alcaraz.
Sinner won his first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open in January and progressed to the semifinals at the French Open and the quarterfinals at Wimbledon, although he missed the Paris Olympics due to tonsillitis.
During the hard-court tournament in Indian Wells, Sinner tested positive for trace amounts of Clostebol, a banned anabolic steroid utilized for certain medical treatments. This is the same substance that led to a suspension for San Diego Padres player Fernando Tatis Jr.
Eight days after the initial positive test, he tested positive again during an out-of-competition check. In response, Sinner’s team stated to CBS News that the substance level found was “less than a billionth of a gram.”
Initially provisionally suspended due to these results, Sinner successfully appealed and returned to competition. His team clarified that the positive result stemmed from an over-the-counter Italian product purchased by his fitness trainer for the treatment of a minor wound on Sinner’s finger. Unbeknownst to the physiotherapist, the product contained Clostebol. Sinner was treated without gloves, leading to what his team described as inadvertent contamination.
The ITIA accepted Sinner’s account and ruled that the doping violation was unintentional. An independent panel’s hearing on August 15 confirmed the absence of fault or negligence, leading to no period of ineligibility for the player. However, Sinner did still lose points from the Indian Wells tournament.
In a statement, Sinner expressed relief and stated, “I will now put this challenging and deeply unfortunate period behind me. I will continue to do everything I can to ensure I comply with the ITIA’s anti-doping program, and I have a team around me that are meticulous in their own compliance.”