Jannik Sinner had a fantastic year in 2024. He won his first two majors, finished the year as the ATP No. 1, and helped deliver Italy another Davis Cup victory. He also, unfortunately, failed two drug tests in March and then was ruled innocent of having done any intentional wrongdoing. For now, anyway.
After the International Tennis Integrity Agency ruled Sinner not guilty, the World Anti-Doping Agency chose to appeal the ruling. In other words, Sinner might still face some kind of suspension even though he was initially found innocent. One thing the Italian knows now, though, is that any ruling on the WADA appeal by the Court of Arbitration for Sport will not be heard until after February 11.
That is because CAS has released its schedule of hearings through February 11, and the Sinner appeal is not on it. That means the Italian is safe to play through at least the Australian Open, a Grand Slam he won last year. Not knowing his future might further motivate Sinner to do well in Melbourne.
Jannik Sinner is free and Iga Swiatek is questioned
Another highly ranked player who tested positive for a banned substance was Iga Swiatek. She was suspended for a month, and she was forced to miss three tournaments which crippled her chance to finish as the year-end No. 1 on the WTA tour again. She was also found innocent of any intentional wrongdoing but was, oddly and unlike Sinner, suspended.
Ahmad Nassar of the Professional Tennis Players Association, an organization founded by Novak Djokovic, has called bogus the WTA’s claim that Swiatek was suspended for an “unfortunate incident,” though.
Nassar wrote on X/Twitter, “I’m sorry. This was not an ‘unfortunate incident.’ A real unfortunate incident is something you cannot control. Tennis can – and should! – no, must! – control its own anti-doping process. Athletes indeed face ‘challenges.’ Like, the weather. And their opponents. But the messy, tennis-establishment imposed anti-doping process is not some ‘challenge’ athletes must overcome. That’s a cop-out.”
Nick Kyrgios thinks tennis is doomed
One player who was vocal about Sinner’s finding of innocence, and who also chimed in on X is Nick Kyrgios. Uncomfortably, Kyrgios and Swiatek are currently both scheduled to take part in a World Tennis League exhibition event in Abu Dhabi from December 19 through 22. After learning of Swiatek testing positive for a banned substance, Kyrgios wrote on the social media platform, “OUR SPORT IS COOKED.”
