ATP Chairman acknowledges that there probably could have been "better communication" when explaining what happened in the Jannik Sinner doping case but remained adamant that double standards weren't involved.
A day after the world No. 1 won the Cincinnati Masters, the ITIA stunned the entire tennis world after announcing that the 23-year-old failed two doping tests in March. However, the Italian didn't get any kind of suspension because his explanation that a banned steroid got into his body through the over-the-counter-spray was accepted and the investigation determined that he "bore no fault or negligence."
Sinner may have escaped suspension but the handling of his case drew criticism from certain players, as well as tennis fans, because some thought that he didn't get any kind of ban because he was the top-ranked player in the game.
Gaudenzi on the Sinner doping case
I learned the day before we all learned. And to be honest, Im happy about that. I really thank the ITIA and our representatives there for intentionally keeping me and our entire team in the dark because thats how it should be. It should be completely independent and that was agreed by the (parties). It was a shock, but obviously comforted by the evidence afterward," the ATP boss, via AP.
In late September, the CAS appealed the verdict reached by the ITIA and want Sinner to be banned for at least a year or two. The ruling should come in early 2025.
The CAS maybe didn't accept the ITIA's ruling but Gaudenzi is firm in his claims that the entire process has been nothing but clean.
We are completely external and its (an) independent process. I generally think has been a fair process. It was really done by the book and by the rules. Maybe there could have been better communication in explaining those rules, and that is something that I would urge every party involved to work better in the next time," the ATP Chairman said.