World number one Jannik Sinner has been handed a three-month suspension after reaching a "case resolution agreement" with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) over a failed test.
The reigning Australian Open and US Open champion twice tested positive for the prohibited substance clostebol in March 2024 and was memorably given a provisional suspension in August of that year.
Sinner argued that the substance entered his system via a former physiotherapist massaging him after using a spray containing clostebol to treat a cut on his hand, an explanation that was accepted by an independent tribunal.
As a result, Sinner was not given a lengthy ban at the time, as it was determined that the Italian bore no fault or negligence, but the World Anti-Doping Agency appealed the decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport and sought a severe sanction, with a hearing scheduled to begin in April.
However, WADA have now confirmed that they have settled Sinner's case, and the world number one will now serve a three-month ban from the sport, taking into account four days' worth of suspension he served during his provisional punishment.
WADA releases statement as Sinner banned for three months
WADA agreed that Sinner did not intend to gain an unfair competitive advantage, but the 23-year-old must accept responsibility for the negligence of his former physio, whom he has since severed ties with.
"The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) confirms that it has entered into a case resolution agreement in the case of Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner, with the player accepting a three-month period of ineligibility for an anti-doping rule violation that led to him testing positive for clostebol, a prohibited substance, in March 2024," a statement read.
"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. As previously stated, WADA did not seek a disqualification of any results, save that which was previously imposed by the tribunal of first instance.
"Under the terms of the agreement, Mr. Sinner will serve his period of ineligibility from 9 February 2025 to 11:59 pm on 4 May 2025 (which includes a credit for four days previously served by the athlete while he was under a provisional suspension). As per the Code Article 10.14.2, Mr. Sinner may return to official training activity from 13 April 2025."
Which tournaments will Sinner miss during three-month ban?
Crucially, Sinner will not miss any Grand Slam tournaments while he serves his suspension, as the next major of the year - the French Open - begins on May 26, three weeks after his ban is lifted.
The Italian will be unavailable for the entire clay-court swing before Roland-Garros, though, thereby missing out on some crucial preparation for the second Grand Slam of the year.
The world number one will be absent from as many as four Masters tournaments, including next month's Miami Open and Indian Wells Masters, as well as April's Monte-Carlo Masters and Madrid Open.
Sinner will therefore cede the Miami title he won in 2024, and the 23-year-old has also been banned from ATP 500 events in Qatar, Rio, Dubai, Acapulco, Barcelona and Munich over the next couple of months.
However, the Italian's suspension ends just one day before the start of the Italian Open, meaning that he could make his long-awaited return to the sport at his home Masters tournament in Rome.
Sinner has not been in action since defeating Alexander Zverev in the final of the 2025 Australian Open, where he became the first-ever Italian player to win three Grand Slam singles titles. body check tags ::
