Jannik Sinner Cleared After Positive Tests for Banned Substance

World number one Jannik Sinner has been officially cleared of any wrongdoing following two positive tests for a banned substance in March. The Italian tennis star tested positive for low levels of clostebol, a steroid commonly used to build muscle mass, during the Indian Wells tournament.

A second sample taken eight days later also returned a positive result for the same substance. As a result, Sinner was automatically placed under a provisional suspension. However, he successfully challenged this suspension, allowing him to continue competing.

The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) conducted an investigation and found that Sinner had been inadvertently contaminated by his physiotherapist, Giacomo Naldi. Naldi had applied an over-the-counter spray containing clostebol to treat a cut on his own hand before performing treatments on Sinner. The ITIA accepted that the contamination was unintentional, and an independent tribunal cleared Sinner of any fault or negligence last week.

Despite being cleared, Sinner will lose the ranking points and prize money he earned from his semi-final run at Indian Wells. Reflecting on the ordeal, Sinner stated, “I will now put this challenging and deeply unfortunate period behind me. I will continue to do everything I can to ensure I comply with the ITIA’s anti-doping program. I have a team around me that is meticulous in their own compliance.”

Clostebol, which is often found in products used to treat swelling and irritation, is listed as a prohibited substance by the World Anti-Doping Agency. Sinner, who is also the reigning Australian Open champion, will enter the US Open as the top seed, with the tournament set to begin on Monday.