Jannik Sinner‘s troubles are far from over. However, the Italian will have a slight moment of relief after receiving the latest update on his ongoing doping nightmare. The World No. 1 twice tested positive for the banned anabolic substance, Clostebol, earlier this year at the Indian Wells Masters. Despite maintaining his innocence and an independent tribunal ruling in his favor, citing ‘no guilt or negligence’ on the Italian’s part, Sinner is facing a potential 1-2 year ban following WADA’s appeal for a renewed decision.

To rectify his team’s blunder, the World No. 1 fired both his physiotherapist and fitness coach merely days before commencing his US Open campaign. However, a favorable ruling and seemingly evading the charges based on technicalities wasn’t going to cut it for the World Anti-Doping Agency. The agency filed a petition in the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and issued a statement explaining that it is their “view that the finding of ‘no fault or negligence’ was not correct under the applicable rules.” As luck would have it, Sinner’s upcoming on-court commitments wouldn’t be affected by the retrial just yet.

As per the latest revelation, the final verdict of CAS will not be delivered until February 2025. Modest news, indeed, if not the most exciting. This means that Sinner’s participation in the Australian Open and, in turn, his title defense in Melbourne will remain unaffected. The 23-year-old bagged the season’s Melbourne Slam after defeating Daniil Medvedev in a five-set thriller.

For those unaware, the World No. 1 addressed WADA’s recent plea requests after outfoxing Roman Safiullin to secure a quarterfinal spot in the China Open. A ‘disappointed’ Sinner made a candid admission saying “I’m very disappointed and also surprised by the appeal. I was not expecting it. Maybe they just want to make sure everything is in the right position.” Moreover, his lawyer also addressed the nerving situation by defending Sinner and further, explaining WADA’s motive behind the appeal.

Jannik Sinner’s lawyer defends the Italian with ‘no one is accusing him of anything’ statement

Italian sensation Jannik Sinner’s lawyer, Jamie Singer, defended the two-time Grand Slam champion after reiterating WADA’s intentions behind filing an appeal with CAS. Speaking to ‘Gazzetta,’ Singer highlighted that the agency doesn’t accuse the Italian of enhancing his performance, but instead seeks to hold him accountable for his team’s actions.

He said, “This request is completely reasonable. In fact, no one accuses Jannik of having taken advantage of Clostebol in his performances. For this reason, it would be unfair to penalize him in the rankings or in his earnings. However, WADA believes that he is somehow responsible for the actions of his team, and for this reason, they ask for him to be punished. The suspension is the punishment they ask for what they consider negligence.”

Meanwhile, Sinner will showcase his athletic prowess on the Tour once again. In hopes of closing in on his China Open title quest, the Italian will square off against Jiri Lehecka for a place in the last four on Monday, September 30.