Written by Richard Paglia | @Tennis_Now | Wednesday, September 4, 2024
Photo credit: Corleve/Mark Peterson
New York-Roger Federer I believe Yannick Sinner’s An explanation of how the banned steroids entered his system.
The Swiss superstar said the Syner affair had sparked controversy by raising questions about the consistency of anti-doping protocols.
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Talk to ~ Today Show Host and avid tennis fan Savannah GuthrieFederer said he understood the frustration some players had expressed about the way Sinner’s case was handled.
“I understand the frustration of, ‘Is he being treated the same as everyone else?'” Federer told the Today Show. “And I think that’s the point.”
Sinner, ranked No. 1 in the world, provided a urine sample on March 10, 2024, at Indian Wells, which contained “low levels” of the clostebol metabolite, the ITIA said. A further sample eight days later, out of competition, also tested positive for the same metabolite.
ITIA said Sinner was suspended whenever he tested positive.
The ITIA said: “In both instances Sinner successfully appealed the injunctions, allowing him to continue competing.”
Sinner claimed he was contaminated with the banned substance Clostebol after contact with a physiotherapist and vehemently denied any wrongdoing.
Some players have argued there was a double standard in place when Sinner was allowed to continue playing for six months before the ITIA found him “not at fault” in his case. Simona Halep’s The claim of negligent fouling was initially dismissed and she was not allowed to compete. Halep took her case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport and won a shortened sentence on appeal.
Federer, a 20-time Grand Slam winner, said he had confidence in doping testing but that inconsistencies in the process raised questions.
“I think we all believe Jannik did nothing, but the inconsistency that he didn’t have to sit out while he wasn’t 100 percent sure what was going on, I think that’s the question that needs to be answered here,” Federer said. “But look, it’s true, and we have to trust the process of everyone involved here.”
Sinner admitted he was “worried” he could be banned, but said he was confident he would be cleared because trace amounts of clostebol were found in his system, supporting his claim that the contamination was unintentional.
“Of course I was worried. It was my first time, and I hope it’s the last time I’m in this situation,” Sinner said. “The other part is that I have 0.000000001 in my body. There’s a lot of zeros before you get to a one.
“So of course I was worried. I’ve always been a player who takes things very, very seriously. I believe I’m a fair player on and off the court.”
ITIA said it had conducted a number of extensive interviews with Sinner and his team as part of its investigation. ITIA has referred the case to an independent tribunal to consider the specific facts and determine whether Sinner did anything wrong in relation to the positive test.
After a hearing on August 15, the independent tribunal ruled that “there is no ineligibility period in this case as there is no fault or negligence.”
However, Sinner was stripped of all his performance, prize money and ranking points from the Indian Wells ATP Masters 1000 tournament after testing positive during the Klosterbol match.
“We don’t want to see that kind of news in our sport, whether he did something or not, whether any player did something,” Federer told Savannah Guthrie on the Today Show. “It’s just noise. We don’t want that.”
