Six days before the start of the US Open, the final Grand Slam of the season, the tennis world received a big shock on Tuesday. The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) released a statement in the afternoon revealing that world number one Jannik Sinner had tested positive twice for a banned substance, clostebol, in March 2024 during the Indian Wells tournament.
Never made public until August 20, despite the facts dating back almost six months, the case has not resulted in any sanction for the Italian, since the recent winner of the Masters 1000 in Cincinnati was cleared by an independent tribunal on Tuesday. According to Sinner, it was an over-the-counter spray used by a member of his team to treat a small wound that contaminated him.
An unconvincing conclusion for some of the transalpine star’s colleagues. If Lucas Pouille did not mention Sinner’s name, contenting himself with a questioning tweet (“Maybe we should stop taking us for fools, no?”), Nick Kyrgios was much less ambiguous in his reactions.
“The rules are different for different players”
“This is ridiculous, whether it was accidental or planned,” wrote the Australian, who has been off the court for nearly two years due to physical issues. “You tested positive for a banned substance (steroid) twice in a row… you should be out for 2 years. Your performance has been enhanced. Massage cream… yeah, that’s it,” he posted on his X account.
He then responded to a comment highlighting the accidental nature of the contamination. “Accidental? Do you really think the physiotherapist applied massage cream to a cut that caused him to fail two anabolic steroid tests. Come on potato!”
Also doubtful, the semi-finalist at Wimbledon in 2021 Denis Shapovalov also spoke on X.
“I can’t imagine what all the other players who are banned for banned substances are feeling right now. The rules are different for different players,” the Canadian complained, to which Lucas Pouille replied: “What about the players who were banned for only 3 no shows and who never tested positive?”, referring to the rule applied by the ITF (International Tennis Federation), which imposes a suspension on any player who misses three doping controls in a row.