Jannik Sinner doping saga not over yet as WADA confirms right to appeal World No. 1 escaping ban despite failed tests

Jannik Sinner's doping case is not over yet as the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has confirmed that they can still appeal the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Sinner escaped a ban despite failing two drug tests as the authorities accepted his explanation that the prohibited substance entered his body inadvertently.

But WADA confirmed to a German news agency, ASB Zeitung, that it could take the case to CAS if deemed necessary.

Sinner got embroiled in one of the biggest controversies of the year, as it was revealed on August 20 that he tested positive twice - on March 10 and March 18 - for the banned substance Clostebol. For this, he was provisionally suspended, from April 4-5 and then again from April 17-20.

The Italian appealed the suspension twice, and both times his appeal was accepted. According to WADA rules, if a provisional suspension appeal is accepted, it remains anonymous. If the appeal had been rejected, it would have been announced then.

Sinner's team said that the banned substance entered his body through his physio. The Italian's physio had a cut on his finger for which he used a spray, containing the banned substance (a picture confirming this part of the story was dug out by eagle-eyed fans). He then massaged the World No. 1 bare-handed.

A report by an independent tribunal accepted the reasoning and did not suspend Sinner, especially since the quantity of the banned substance (one billionth of a gram) was deemed not to have performance-enhancing effects. The report also mentioned that the 'player bears no fault or negligence'.

Sinner has broken his silence on the matter, saying that he hopes to move forward from this. He has also vowed to fully comply with the International Tennis Integrity Agency's anti-doping programme going forward.

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Jannik Sinner had to forfeit ranking points and prize money from Indian Wells for failing dope tests

Jannik Sinner was meted out appropriate punishment for failing two doping tests (Image: Getty)

Jannik Sinner was not banned for failing two drug tests but was still stripped of his ranking points (400) and prize money ($325,000) from the Indian Wells tournament.

For the subsequent tournaments, i.e., the Miami Open, Monte-Carlo Masters, Madrid Open, French Open, Terra Wortmann Open, Wimbledon, National Bank Open and Cincinnati Open, he would not be stripped of the prize money or docked any ranking points.

Now, Sinner would want to focus his attention on the final Grand Slam of the year, the US Open.