Jannik Sinner: World No 1 banned from tennis for three months over doping case after reaching agreement with WADA

World No 1 Jannik Sinner will serve a three-month ban from tennis after reaching an agreement with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) following two positive drug tests in 2024.

The Italian has accepted a period of ineligibility that suspends him from playing from February 9 until May 4, meaning he can return ahead of the next Grand Slam, with the French Open starting on May 25.

The latest twist to the contentious case was almost immediately criticised on social media by 2022 Wimbledon finalist Nick Kyrgios, who said the perceived leniency of the agreement showed that "fairness in tennis does not exist".

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Sinner, who last month retained his Australian Open title to claim his third Grand Slam triumph, tested positive in March 2024 for the anabolic steroid clostebol, before being cleared in August by an independent tribunal who determined he was not to blame.

In a case presented by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), the tribunal accepted Sinner's explanation that the banned substance entered his body as a result of a massage from his physiotherapist, who had used a spray containing the steroid to treat a cut on their finger.

Sinner subsequently fired physio Giacomo Naldi and his trainer Umberto Ferrara, who Sinner said had supplied Naldi with the over-the-counter spray.

But WADA, who previously said it was seeking a ban of between one and two years for Sinner, appealed against that decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in September and a subsequent hearing had been set for April 16 and 17.

In a statement released on Saturday, WADA explained that it continues to believe Sinner did not intend to cheat but that he was responsible for his entourage's negligence.

The statement said: "WADA accepts the athlete's explanation for the cause of the violation as outlined in the first instance decision. WADA accepts that Mr. Sinner did not intend to cheat, and that his exposure to clostebol did not provide any performance-enhancing benefit and took place without his knowledge as the result of negligence of members of his entourage.

"However, under the Code and by virtue of CAS precedent, an athlete bears responsibility for the entourage's negligence. Based on the unique set of facts of this case, a three-month suspension is deemed to be an appropriate outcome."

In a statement shared with Sky Sports News by his lawyers, Sinner said: "This case had been hanging over me for nearly a year and the process still had a long time to run with a decision maybe only at the end of the year.

"I have always accepted that I am responsible for my team and realise WADA's strict rules are an important protection for the sport I love. On that basis I have accepted Wada's offer to resolve these proceedings on the basis of a three-month sanction."

Though Sinner was required to forfeit his 400 ranking points from the tournament he tested positive at, Indian Wells - and prize money of $325,000 - he was able to continue competing and went on to win the US Open in September 2024 and Australian Open in January 2025.

WADA reiterated that it was not seeking the "disqualification of any results" aside from the Indian Wells ruling that had previously been made.

Sinner will miss four ATP Masters 1000 events - Indian Wells and Miami in March, along with Monte-Carlo and Madrid in April. He will be eligible to return at his home event, the Masters 1000 in Rome on May 7.

'Fairness in tennis does not exist' - Kyrgios critical of ruling

Kyrgios, who has been consistently critical of the handling of the case since its details became public, immediately responded to the agreement with several social media posts on Saturday.

He wrote: "So WADA come out and say it would be a 1-2 year ban. Obviously Sinner's team have done everything in their power to just go ahead and take a 3 month ban, no titles lost, no prize money lost. Guilty or not? Sad day for tennis. Fairness in tennis does not exist."

In a separate post, he added: "I know a lot of players that are feeling the same way at the moment.

"So he was found guilty - hence the ban. But didn't get stripped of anything and can play the French. Sad sad sad day."

Sky Sports News has contacted WADA for comment on Kyrgios' posts on social media.

Henman: 'Convenient' Sinner settlement leaves a 'sour taste'

Former British No 1 and Sky Sports Tennis pundit Tim Henman said the agreement "seems a little bit too convenient" and "leaves a pretty sour taste for the sport".

Henman told Sky Sports News: "I want to start off first and foremost by saying I don't think in any way he has been trying to cheat at any stage. I don't believe that.

"However, when I read this statement this morning, it just seems a little bit too convenient. It seems that there's words like 'agreement', and it almost seems like there's been a negotiation.

"And obviously, having just won the Australian Open, to miss three months of the Tour and therefore be eligible to play at Roland Garros, the timing couldn't have been any better for Sinner.

"But I still think it leaves a pretty sour taste for the sport. I'm sure we'll understand a little bit more because it is such a fresh story. But it's just a bit too convenient for me right now.

"I think when you're dealing with drugs in sport, it very much has to be black and white. It's binary, it's positive or negative, it's you're banned or you're not banned.

"And I think that's when you start reading words like 'settlement' or 'agreement', it feels like there's been a negotiation and I don't think that will sit well with certainly the player cohort and the fans of the sport."

(c) Sky Sports 2025: Jannik Sinner: World No 1 banned from tennis for three months over doping case after reaching agreement with WADA