World number one banned for doping, tennis world shaken.

THE "RAISE HIGH, STRIKE GENTLY" PENALTY IN TENNIS

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) announced the penalty yesterday, February 15th, and world number one tennis player Jannik Sinner accepted it without appeal.

According to AFP, Sinner tested positive twice for a banned substance called clostebol in 2024. This is a pharmaceutical that can be used to increase muscle mass. The Italian tennis player said he was accidentally exposed to the banned substance by a physiotherapist. The doctor used an over-the-counter spray to treat a wound on Sinner's hand, only later discovering that the spray contained clostebol. In August 2024, the International Tennis Integrity Authority (ITIA) confirmed: "Sinner was not at fault or acting negligently." Subsequent tests also showed low levels of the banned substance.

Jannik Sinner accepted the penalty and did not appeal.

WADA was dissatisfied with ITIA's decision and appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). WADA also argued that Sinner did not intentionally cheat and that the concentration of the banned substance was not sufficient to improve performance even slightly. However, WADA's rules stipulate that athletes are also responsible for the negligence of their coaching staff.

Initially, WADA proposed a suspension of one to two years, but the matter was ultimately resolved quickly, allowing the world number one to avoid missing any Grand Slam tournaments, including the upcoming Roland Garros. Specifically, the 23-year-old is banned from competing from February 9th to April 5th, 2025, meaning he will definitely miss four Masters tournaments: Indian Wells, Miami, Monte-Carlo, and the Madrid Open. Sinner is allowed to return to official training on April 13th. Therefore, he will still be able to participate in the Rome Masters (May 6-13) and Roland Garros (May 27-June 3).

THE TENNIS VILLAGE IS IN TURMOIL

Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios was one of the first to strongly criticize the ruling on social media. "A terrible day for tennis. I know many people are as outraged as I am. WADA had stated the ban could be up to two years, but then Sinner's team negotiated it down to three months, without losing titles or prize money. So is he guilty or not? Justice doesn't exist in tennis," Kyrgios asserted.

Stan Wawrinka, a three-time Grand Slam champion, also expressed his disappointment: "I no longer believe in clean sport."

The world number one tennis player will not miss any Grand Slam tournaments in 2025.

Speaking on Sky Sports News , former British tennis player Tim Henman said: "First and foremost, I don't think Sinner tried to cheat at any stage. However, after reading WADA's decision, I feel this ban seems to be favorable to Sinner. He had just won the Australian Open, then took a three-month break but was still eligible to participate in Roland Garros. That was the perfect timing for Sinner. This leaves a pretty bad impression of tennis in everyone's minds."

Any issue related to banned substances in sports must be clearly defined as black or white, positive or negative, banned or not banned. But when I read words like 'resolved' or 'reached an agreement,' I feel like this ban is a negotiation."

However, Feliciano Lopez, currently the Director of the Madrid Open and Davis Cup, spoke out in defense of Sinner: "I still believe him. The results prove he did not use doping to improve his performance. Sinner accepted responsibility for someone else's mistake and the three-month suspension is justified. Would a longer ban make the sport cleaner? I don't think so."

According to calculations, the aforementioned ban will cost Sinner 1,600 ranking points on the ATP leaderboard, not including all points from the 2024 Indian Wells tournament that were already erased. However, the 23-year-old still has the potential to maintain his world number one ranking, as he currently has a 3,195-point lead over Alexander Zverev – whom he recently defeated in the 2025 Australian Open final.

Specifically, Sinner will have 1,000 points deducted for being the reigning ATP 1,000 Miami Open champion, 400 points deducted at the Monte Carlo Masters for reaching the semi-finals of that tournament last year (losing to Stefanos Tsitsipas), and 200 points deducted at the Madrid Open (withdrawing before the quarter-final match against Felix Auger-Aliassime).

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/so-1-the-gioi-bi-cam-vi-doping-lang-quan-vot-day-song-185250216101751589.htm