Why was Jannik Sinner banned from tennis? Doping suspension explained
Jannik Sinner heads into Wimbledon as the defending champion with the Italian superstar the big favourite to claim his fifth Grand Slam title.
But back in 2024, the world No.1 failed two drug tests, which eventually saw him suspended at all tennis competitions from February 9, 2025 to May 4, 2025 following a settlement with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
Sinner, who beat rival Carlos Alcaraz in last year’s Wimbledon final, twice tested positive for clostebol – a steroid that can be used to build muscle mass.
WADA accepted Sinner’s explanation that he was accidentally contaminated by a massage from his physiotherapist, who used a spray containing the banned substance to treat a finger cut.
They ruled that Sinner ‘did not intend to cheat’ but insisted that he was responsible for his team’s negligence, which ultimately saw him punished.
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The entire process was controversial with many tennis stars feeling that Sinner had benefitted from ‘favouritism’ due to his profile and the fact that he had access to ‘top lawyers’, unlike tennis players at the lower levels.
It was first announced in August 2024, by an an independent tribunal, that Sinner had tested positive for clostebol in separate tests from March 2024.
Although Sinner’s positive drug tests occurred in March 2024, he wasn’t banned until his settlement with WADA in February 2025.
The last tournament he played before his suspension was the Australian Open in January 2025 – which he won – to land his third major title.
He made his return at the Italian Open in May – and then featured at Roland-Garros – finishing as a runner-up to Carlos Alcaraz both times.
Like WADA, the independent tribunal accepted Sinner’s explanation, but they determined that Sinner bore ‘no fault or negligence’ and no period of ineligibility would apply.
The independent tribunal instead ruled that Sinner would forfeit prize money and ranking points earned at the Indian Wells tournament, held in March 2024.
That led to WADA getting involved and appealing the decision – with Sinner eventually suspended for three months after an agreement was reached.
Even WADA’s ruling proved to be somewhat controversial after Sinner was allowed to return in time to play at the 2025 French Open.
‘It just seems a little bit too convenient,’ former British No.1 Tim Henman said last year.
‘Having just won the [2025] Australian Open, to miss three months of the Tour and therefore to be eligible to play at Roland-Garros, the timing couldn’t have been any better for Sinner, but I still think it leaves a pretty sour taste for the sport.
‘When you’re dealing with drugs in sport it very much has to be black and white, it’s binary, it’s positive or negative, you’re banned or you’re not banned.
‘When you start reading words like settlement or agreement, it feels like there’s been a negotiation and I don’t think that will sit well with the player cohort and the fans of the sport.’
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