(Adnkronos) – Jannik Sinner is not yet definitively acquitted in the doping case that involved him. Wada, the world anti-doping agency, has not appealed against the ruling that found the Italian tennis player innocent.
At this time, writes the Tas in the late morning today responding to a request from Adnkronos, “the Court has not registered an appeal by Wada in relation to the case” of Sinner. However, it is up to the world anti-doping agency to formalize the decision not to proceed.
“The Arbitral Tribunal – explains the body to Adnkronos – cannot comment on the deadlines for filing an appeal and” cannot announce “whether or not the deadlines have expired. Only the body that made the decision” to file an appeal or not “can confirm the deadline.
As evidenced by the French daily L’Equipe, following contacts with the world anti-doping agency, the appeal to the Tas can be filed within 21 days of receipt of the complete file and not within 21 days of the decision of acquittal adopted by the independent court on August 19. “The review is ongoing and there is still time before the deadline,” says Wada.
The chances of an appeal are actually remote. Sinner has availed himself of the advice of 3 experts (Jean-François Naud, director of the Montreal laboratory; Xavier de la Torre, head of the Rome laboratory; David Cowan, former director of the London laboratory) who have supported the contamination thesis: these are experts recognized by Wada.
The blue tested positive for clostebol, an anabolic steroid, in two tests carried out in March 2024. A minimal amount of the banned substance was found in the urine of the world number 1. Sinner demonstrated that the positivity was caused by contamination. The physiotherapist used a spray containing clostebol to treat his own finger and then treated the athlete without wearing gloves. A panel of 3 experts accepted the defensive thesis and an independent court found Sinner innocent. The verdict was made known in mid-August: Sinner never actually interrupted his competitive season and was able to participate in the US Open, which he won on Sunday with his victory in the final against Taylor Fritz.
“They were difficult months,” said and repeated the 23-year-old from South Tyrol, who for weeks took to the court with the sword of Damocles of a possible disqualification.
The absence of an appeal by Wada to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Tas) against the acquittal would bring down the curtain on the case: Sinner could focus on the final phase of the season with the last tournaments between China and Europe, the Davis Cup and the Atp Finals in Turin.
