BENGALURU, India — As Jannik Sinner nears the end of a three-month doping ban that shook the tennis world, players are flocking to anti-doping authorities seeking advice on how to avoid positive tests due to contamination.
Sinner agreed to a settlement with the World Anti-Doping Agency in February and began a three-month suspension after authorities accepted that the anabolic agent clostebol had entered his system via massages from his physiotherapist.
His case and that of Iga Swiatek — who served a one-month suspension in the fall after testing positive for the banned substance trimetazidine — left many players concerned about inadvertently being caught up in the doping net, and the International Tennis Integrity Agency said it will step up efforts to help them safely navigate the path ahead.
“We have seen an increase of players asking for advice and assistance since the high-profile cases, and we are working on ways to make that easier,” the ITIA told Reuters. “There are lots of resources that are available to assist with checking supplements and medications. If players, coaches and medical staff have questions, they can contact us.
“We are not trying to trip people up. Our role is to protect the sport and maintain a level playing field.”
While Sinner’s case has led to heightened vigilance within the tennis fraternity, some players remain unhappy with how it was handled in the belief that the 23-year-old received favorable treatment.
Novak Djokovic expressed frustration earlier this year at being “kept in the dark” about the case, while the outspoken Nick Kyrgios said it was “disgusting” for the sport.
American great Serena Williams reignited the debate ahead of Sinner’s return in Rome next week, saying she would have received a 20-year ban and had her Grand Slam titles taken away had she tested positive in a similar manner.
The ITIA has remained firm that all its cases are dealt with based on facts and evidence and not a player’s name, nationality or ranking.
Apart from his suspension, Sinner has largely been unaffected by the uproar, winning the US Open last year before successfully defending his Australian Open title in January.
In Rome, the world No. 1 will aim to leave the doping saga behind him and build momentum for the French Open in late May.
He is all but assured of remaining at the top of the world rankings until Roland Garros after Alexander Zverev and Carlos Alcaraz failed to exploit his absence during the clay-court swing, but he does not expect a smooth road on his return.
“It certainly won’t be easy for me. The first games will be really difficult,” Sinner said. “Hopefully I’ll be able to get back into the rhythm, and then we’ll see how it goes.”
Spanish great Rafael Nadal said Sinner should now be allowed to focus on his tennis while acknowledging the case had not been positive for the sport.
“In the end, if I’m not mistaken, he came out of the ruling as innocent,” Nadal told Britain’s Daily Telegraph. “But these things happen sometimes, accidents happen, and that’s how I see this because I believe in Jannik. I’m convinced from what I know of Jannik that he never tried to cheat or get an advantage over the rest.
“I’m sure that Jannik is an innocent and moral person. … I believe in the ruling. Jannik has accepted these three months of sanction and so: case closed.”
