Sinner tested positive for a banned substance twice in March but was absolved of fault or negligence by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA).
The ITIA accepted Sinner’s explanation that clostebol, an anabolic agent that can aid muscle growth, had accidentally entered his system via a product one of his team had used to treat a small wound.
The decision has been met with criticism in the tennis world, with some players surprised at the speed at which the case was heard, but Sinner says the quick timeframe was because he could explain the origin of the substance found in his body.
“Every player who gets tested positive has to go through the same process,” he said. “There is no shortcut, there is no different treatment, they are all the same process.
“I know sometimes the frustration of other players obviously.
But maybe because they got suspended they didn’t know exactly where it comes from, also what substance, but the main reason is where it comes from and how it entered in his own system.
“We knew it straight away and we were aware of what happened. We went straight away and I was suspended for two or three days. I couldn’t practice and everything, but they accepted it very, very fast and that’s why I carried on playing.”
Halep had a very different story to tell after the former Wimbledon champion tested positive for the blood-boosting drug Roxadustat at the US Open in 2022 and was handed the long ban last September.
