Alleged double standards in Jannik Sinner doping ban highlighted by Novak Djokovic-led PTPA in historic legal suit against ATP, ITIA

World No. 1 Jannik Sinner has been named in the lawsuit that the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) filed against ATP, WTA, ITIA, and ITF on Tuesday (March 18). The players-only body, which is spearheaded by Novak Djokovic, has accused the ITIA of "arbitrary and selective" treatment towards the Italian, citing their inability to protect Argentinian tennis pro Marco Trungelliti from abuse after he had reported match-fixers to the official tennis bodies years ago.

Sinner, who is currently serving a three-month doping suspension, tested positive for the banned substance clostebol in March 2024. However, the International Tennis Integrity Association (ITIA) only let the tennis universe know about the 23-year-old's failed doping tests five months later, before ultimately ruling that he bears "no fault or negligence".

Although Jannik Sinner agreed to a doping ban earlier in February at WADA's behest, the PTPA is at odds with ITIA's handling of the three-time Major winner's case. In its filing in a New York court where a range of issues, from lack of player welfare to the allegedly unfair pro-tour ranking system was brought up. The Novak Djokovic-led organization also claimed the anti-doping agency gave Sinner preferential treatment relative to World No. 164 Trungelliti, whose family has received death threats since he blew the whistle on match-fixing on the ITF circuit in 2015.

"That month (August 2024), the ITIA announced that Jannik Sinner, the top-ranked player on the ATP Tour, had twice tested positive for a banned anabolic steroid earlier that season," the PTPA wrote in its case filing on Tuesday. "Unlike its dogged pursuit of other players, however, it accepted Sinner's explanation... As a result of its immediate acceptance, the ITIA concluded that Sinner bore 'no fault or negligence' for his positive test and permitted him to compete in the 2024 U.S. Open, which Sinner won."

"There was no investigation that dragged for over a year into a prominent player who had not vocalized any issues with the cartel," read the statement.

The PTPA continued that Trungelliti was reportedly told by the higher-ups that his 'cooperation privileges would be revoked' had he refused to talk to the media. This was following ITIA's predecessor Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU) suspending Federico Coria, Nicolas Kicker and Patricio Heras for match-fixing in 2018, which happened three years after the Argentine reported the match-fixing racket on the ITF Futures tour.

"Over the next few years, Trungelliti sat for numerous interviews and even testified in the trial against the match fixers and implicated players," an excerpt from PTPA's filing read. "When he initially refused to testify publicly, he was threatened and told that if he did not do so, they would come after him and revoke any cooperation privileges."

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While Jannik Sinner was defended by fans, Marco Trungelliti was shunned for reporting peers to TIU

Jannik Sinner was given a three-month ban after winning the Australian Open | Image Source: Getty

Although several players and fans came to the defense of Jannik Sinner, Marco Trungelliti didn't receive the same favor after his confession about being approached by match-fixers in 2015. The then-33-year-old revealed to La Nacion in October 2023 that he received "death threats" from fans following his disclosure, to the point that it became "mentally rough" for him to continue his career.

"Everything is fine until a threat becomes greater. I receive death threats for me, for my family," Marco Trungelliti told La Nacion in late 2023. "Mentally it was quite rough. In 2020, I was ready: we talked about it with my wife, I couldn't take it anymore."

Jannik Sinner, meanwhile, will be out of action until May 4. The World No. 1 is expected to make his comeback to the ATP Tour at the Italian Open, which begins on May 9.