'Tainted': Calls for Jannik Sinner to be stripped of 'Aus Open title after ban

Yahoo

16-02-2025

Jannik Sinner's three-month doping suspension has divided the tennis world and there are growing calls for the World No.1 to be stripped of his latest grand slam singles title at the Australian Open. The Italian was allowed to compete in the year's first major tournament at Melbourne Park despite having the doping saga hanging over his head. And he beat Alexander Zverev in the final to claim the third grand slam title of his career.
The 23-year-old Sinner twice tested positive for traces of banned substance clostebol in March last year but was initially cleared by the International Tennis Integrity Agency's (ITIA) to continue competing. Sinner successfully argued that he was inadvertently contaminated because his physio had applied a spray containing the steroid to his own finger and then massaged Sinner without gloves on.
However, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) appealed the decision and was set to take Sinner to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) later this year, before coming to an agreement with the Italian and settling on a three-month ban that will begin immediately. WADA were believed to be pushing for a maximum two-year ban and eyebrows were raised over the weekend when a deal was struck that means he only misses three months.
The timing of the decision continues to raise eyebrows due to the fact Sinner won't miss any grand slams and could be back in time to play at his home tournament - the Italian Open - in May. Not only that, but the 23-year-old was able to compete in - and ultimately win - the Australian Open title this year while the doping saga was still hanging over his head.
Respected Australian sports journalist Jamie Pandaram claims Sinner's Australian Open title was 'tainted' and will always have an 'asterisk' next to it because of the situation. And it's led to calls for Sinner to be stripped of his latest grand slam title, despite WADA indicating that would not be the case.
"I just don't think that if you have any doubts about somebody and they've tested positive that you allow them to compete in a grand slam event because as I say, that result will be tainted," Pandaram said on ABC's Offsiders program. "There's an asterisk over Jannik Sinner's win at the 2025 Australian Open and forever will be because people will believe he entered as a cheat."
Aussie basketball star and dual Olympian Tess Madgen added: "No matter what's in our body, it's our responsibility how it got there... when I was playing basketball I used to worry about buying a protein shake from Boost Juice in case it had an illicit substance in it so to me, I don't believe it.
"I'm kind of pleased that he was found guilty but it doesn't fit. I mean, being sprayed with something on your own body, I find it hard to be found as a trace substance in one test, let alone two days later as another trace sample. So I think there's a bit more going on in this than what's been publicised."
Strongly demand that Sinner be stripped of his Grand Slam title!！！#ATP #tennis #AO2025 pic.twitter.com/8jpEOlaWrq
— Guo Daxia (@guodaxia985211) February 16, 2025
The question now is should sinner be stripped of his AO title ? pic.twitter.com/jwNBQsUlly
— Question (@Philssay) February 15, 2025
Surely Sinner should at least be stripped of his Australian Open Title in January 2025!
— Gary Rowe (@Garonne1972) February 15, 2025
Sinner is a sinner by nature , Should be stripped of his AO title , deserved to ban for 1 yr at least !!!Lost Respect 👎🏻 https://t.co/3MMZp1nXxt
— Kaustubh (@kaustubh_4579) February 15, 2025
The latest backlash comes after the Novak Djokovic-founded Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) joined outspoken stars such as Nick Kyrgios and Stan Wawrinka in slamming Sinner's lenient punishment. "The 'system' is not a system. It's a club," th the PTPA said in a statement. "Supposed case-by-case discretion is, in fact, merely cover for tailored deals, unfair treatment, and inconsistent rulings.
"It's not just the different results for different players. It's the lack of transparency. The lack of process. The lack of consistency. The lack of credibility in the alphabet soup of agencies charged with regulating our sports and athletes."
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Sinner's case is even more divisive when compared to other recent doping violations in the sport such as Simona Halep's. The former World No.1 - who announced her emotional retirement from the sport earlier this year - was initially given a four-year ban that was reduced to nine months after she'd already served two years out of the sport. Halep always maintained her innocence and argued that a contaminated supplement was to blame but the fact of the matter is the Romanian saw two peak years of her career wiped out, in stark contrast to what Sinner is facing.