World No.1 Jannik Sinner has been handed a three-month suspension due to a doping scandal.
According to BBC, the Italian tennis star settled his case with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) by accepting an immediate three-month ban.
The three-time Grand Slam champion will remain suspended from February 9, 2025, to May 4, 2025.
WADA, which had appealed against the player to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), stated on Saturday, February 15, 2025, that it accepted the 2025 Australian Open champion’s explanation that he had accidentally taken a banned substance.
The statement read, “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.”
Additionally, in a statement issued by Sinner’s lawyer, the two-time Australian Open champion said, “This case had been hanging over me 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 realize 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 three-month sanction,” he added.
Notably, following the ban, Sinner will miss hard court tournaments in Indian Wells and Miami, as well as clay court events. He will make his return just before the Italian Open in Rome, scheduled to begin on May 7, 2025, ahead of the French Open.
