"Disappointed & surprised": Jannik Sinner shares his feelings on WADA's appeal to ban him from tennis after doping saga despite 'positive' hearings

Jannik Sinner shared his thoughts after The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) regarding his potential ban from tennis. This development comes a month after the Italian's doping controversy became public knowledge.

Sinner became entangled in the doping controversy when it was revealed just before the US Open, that he had tested positive for the banned substance Clostebol twice during Indian Wells in March.

The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) accepted the World No. 1's explanation that the substance entered his system accidentally. His former physiotherapist, Giacomo Naldi, had used an over-the-counter spray containing the steroid to treat his own wound, leading to the exposure.

However, the situation took a significant turn on Saturday (September 28) when WADA appealed to CAS, seeking to impose at least a one or two-year ban on Jannik Sinner. Despite pushing for the suspension, WADA clarified that they do not want any of his previous results to be disqualified.

Sinner, currently competing at the China Open in Beijing, addressed the situation during a conversation with the media following his Round of 16 victory over Roman Safiullin, saying:

"I'm very disappointed and also surprised of this appeal, to be honest, because we had three hearings. All three hearings came out very positively for me."

"You know, I was not expecting it. I knew it a couple of days ago, that they were going to appeal, that today it's going to go official," he added.

Sinner continued:

"But yeah, it's surprise. We always talk about the same thing. Maybe they just want to make sure that everything is in the right position. Yeah, I'm just surprised that they appealed."

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Jannik Sinner to face off against Jiri Lehecka in China Open 2024 QF

Jannik Sinner pictured at the 2024 China Open | Image Source: Getty

Jannik Sinner has kicked off his title defense at the 2024 China Open with an impressive start, overcoming both Nicolas Jarry and Roman Safiullin in three sets to secure his place in the quarterfinals. He is now set to face Jiri Lehecka in the quarterfinals, aiming to continue his strong run in Beijing.

Sinner and Lehecka are no strangers to each other, having already faced off once on the ATP Tour. Their encounter took place earlier this year in the last eight of the Indian Wells Masters, where World No. 1 emerged victorious. Hence, their head-to-head record currently stands at 0-0.