Top-ranked tennis player Jannik Sinner expressed his confidence in avoiding a doping ban after the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) appealed a decision to clear him of wrongdoing following two positive drug tests. WADA announced its appeal seeking a ban of one to two years for the U.S. Open champion and has taken the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) based in Switzerland.
Sinner, speaking before his first match at the Shanghai Masters, stated, 'I’m very confident that it comes out very, very positively. I would be very, very surprised if it would be the opposite side.' Despite the appeal, Sinner is allowed to continue playing while the case is being heard, potentially affecting his upcoming Australian Open title defense in January.
The 23-year-old player had tested positive twice for an anabolic steroid in March. However, an independent tribunal ruled in August that Sinner was not to blame for the positive tests. The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) determined that the banned substance entered Sinner's system unintentionally through a spray used by his physiotherapist to treat a cut finger.
Upon learning of WADA's appeal during the Chinese Open, where he reached the final but lost to Carlos Alcaraz, Sinner expressed his discomfort with the situation, stating, 'It’s not in a situation where I feel comfortable in, that’s for sure, because I thought it was over. And now once again. So it’s not easy.'
The appeal process may delay the resolution of the case, potentially impacting Sinner's participation in future tournaments. Despite the uncertainty, Sinner remains optimistic about the outcome and is prepared to cooperate fully throughout the proceedings.
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