Against all expectations, WADA has decided to appeal the acquittal of Jannik Sinner by ITIA before the start of the US Open. ITIA had believed the Italian aces version of events, but WADA claims that world number 1 deserves a penalty for negligence and has requested a one to two year suspension.
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The new trial will be long enough and the final verdict wont come before early 2025, unless there are some shocking surprises. Despite the difficulties of recent months, the 23-year-old from San Candido has managed to play his best tennis and demonstrate an exceptional consistency, as evidenced by his status as number 1 in the world.
This season, Sinner has won two Grand Slam titles and two Masters 1000 titles (in addition to the ATP 500 at Rotterdam and Halle). The two-time Grand Slam champion also came close to victory in Beijing, but had to give up in the final to his great rival Carlos Alcaraz at the end of a truly epic match. The Italian champion has already digested that defeat and flew to Shanghai, where he will make his debut tomorrow against Taro Daniel. The US Open champion has no easy path, as he happened in the same quarter-final as Daniil Medvedev.
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A very tricky case
Fans and insiders are wondering if Jannik can be suspended and - if so - how long would such a suspension be.
"We cant control everything. Of course Im very disappointed and also surprised by this appeal, to be honest, because we had three hearings. All three hearings were very positive for me. I didnt expect it. Maybe they just want to make sure everything is in the right position". Jannik Sinner, on 28 September, commented with the usual elegance on the news concerning the appeal that the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has submitted to the TAS of Lausanne on the Clostebol case. The TAS hearing will establish and verify Sinners conduct to ensure that there was no negligence.
Salvatore Civale, president of the Association of Sports Lawyers and UEFA and FIFA Legal Aid projects, spoke about the possible disqualification of Sinner at the Quotidiano Sportivo. "Yes, I honestly had few doubts. The World Anti-Doping Agency wants to show and maintain its principles. Above all, the intention is to defend a fairly substantial set of precedents in this respect. There is to say that the traces of Clostebol are minimal. But I think that a couple of months of disqualification could risk taking them, perhaps with an agreement between the parties, and spread over a period not crowded with sporting commitments". Sinner, after the final lost to Carlos Alcaraz in Beijing, will play the Masters 1000 in Shanghai and face Taro Daniel in his debut. The Italian will try to get even closer to his goal of finishing the season on top of the world ranking.
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A chance to grow up
The 23-year-old from San Candido was the most consistent player this season and he is very close to ensuring the mathematical certainty of finishing the year at the top of the ATP ranking. During the press conference before his debut in Shanghai, Sinner confessed that he had grown a lot in 2024: "Perhaps I have grown more as a person than as a player. Obviously, when you are young and in your 20s or early 20s, each year feels like a big step forward.
Many things have changed in the last year, so I feel I have made great progress. Also, my mindset isn't changing because of success, nor how I behave with people, so that's very positive. I surround myself with good people, I have my family who know me, support me daily, which means a lot to me. I feel in a good place, hopefully, next year if you ask me the same question I can tell you something similar."
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The Italian ace also reflected on the Chinese tennis boom: "It's incredible, this country is huge, so it's good to have new promising players. Now we see several names in the top100 and also in the top200, I feel many more will come. It's good, lately I train a lot with Chinese players and they all play really good tennis. When someone plays well, it's just a matter of time.
I don't know how far they can go, but it's evident that tennis here in China will grow much more, that's what everyone is waiting for." Depending on the results, Sinner could be certain to close 2024 as world number 1 after the Masters 1000 in Shanghai. Last year, Jannik was defeated by Ben Shelton in the round of 16.
