Jannik Sinner, the world number one Tennis player suspected of doping, fixed on his fate in April

We now know the date of the hearing of the Italian Jannik Sinner before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), in the case of his positive doping tests. It will take place on April 16 and 17 in Lausanne, the body announced, Friday January 10, two days before the start of the Australian Open, where the world number one will defend his crown. The CAS was referred to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in September, after an initial decision by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA). “Neither party has requested a public hearing and the proceedings will be held behind closed doors”specifies the sporting jurisdiction in a press release.

In March 2024, during the Indian Wells tournament, the world tennis number 1 tested positive twice for an anabolic, clostebol. He had been tested “low rate” to this anabolic steroid derived from testosterone – and banned by the WADA – during the Californian tournament, before being banned again ten days later.

After investigation, an independent court seized by the ITIA – which had not made these tests public – cleared the transalpine champion in August 2024, ruling that he “had not committed any fault or negligence”. Winner of the Australian Open in January and the US Open – after his tests – Jannik Sinner defended the thesis of accidental contamination by one of his trainers.

A defense validated by the agency: “The substance entered his body following contamination by a member of his staff, who had applied an over-the-counter spray containing clostebol to his own hand to treat a small wound », Specified the ITIA in its press release. In September, WADA challenged this decision by appealing to the CAS and requested a one to two year suspension against the 23-year-old tennis player.

“It was considered in the decision that there was no fault of Sinner. Our position is that there is still a responsibility of the athlete in relation to those around him”Olivier Niggli, director general of WADA, explained to Agence France-Presse in mid-December. “We do not dispute the fact that it could have been contamination. But we believe that the application of the rules does not correspond to case law”he added.

In a similar case, the former world number 1, the Polish Iga Swiatek, was sanctioned with a one-month suspension after a positive test for trimetazidine. Here too, the doses detected were tiny and the ITIA had validated the thesis of accidental contamination. The Polish woman claimed to have been contaminated by a medicine sold in Poland, which she had bought to manage sleep problems linked to jet lag.

Now set on the date when his case will be debated, Jannik Sinner will defend his title during the first Grand Slam tournament of the season, which begins Sunday in Melbourne (Australia). The world number one faces the Chilean Nicolas Jarry in the first round.