ROME — Jannik Sinner revealed that he reluctantly agreed to a three-month anti-doping suspension to avoid the unpredictability of a Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) hearing, even though he felt it was unfair.
“I didn’t want to accept it at first because I knew the truth,” Sinner said on May 5 during his first press conference since the resolution of his case with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). “But sometimes you have to make the best choice in a bad situation.”
Sinner, now eligible to compete again, appeared refreshed at the Foro Italico and reflected on his difficult time away from the sport. Despite staying active in the gym and following other sports, he found it hard not being able to attend events in person. “That was the hardest part,” he admitted.
The 22-year-old also described the emotional strain, saying he felt isolated and under pressure. “I couldn’t talk to many people about it … and the start of the Australian Open was especially tough.”
In February, Sinner accepted a three-month suspension for testing positive for small amounts of clostebol, a banned steroid. His legal team convinced the tribunal that the banned substance entered his system via his physiotherapist, who had applied a topical cream containing clostebol to a cut and then gave Sinner massages. The tribunal found that Sinner had no fault or negligence, and no ban was imposed at that time.
However, WADA appealed the decision, arguing that Sinner should still face consequences for having a banned substance in his body, despite the lack of intent. Before the case reached CAS, WADA offered Sinner a reduced penalty, which he accepted shortly after winning the Australian Open in January.
The timing allowed Sinner to serve the suspension from February 9 to May 4 without missing any Grand Slams, and to return in time for the Italian Open — a key lead-up to the French Open. During the suspension, Sinner missed six tournaments, but rivals Carlos Alcaraz and Alexander Zverev did not significantly close the gap in rankings. As of February 10, Sinner still led Zverev by 3,695 points.
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