Why was Jannik Sinner not banned? What do other players think?

Jannik Sinner of Italy walks across the court during her match against Frances Tiafoe of the United States during the final day of the Cincinnati Open at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Memphis, Ohio, on August 19, 2024. Dylan Buell/Getty Images/AFP

Top-ranked men’s tennis player Jannik Sinner will compete in the U.S. Open, which opens in New York next week, despite news that he tested positive for banned anabolic steroids twice in March.

It’s a case that was unknown until Tuesday and has drawn all kinds of questions and, in some cases, criticism. Other players wondered if there was a double standard when it came to Sinner’s success, they didn’t understand why it was all kept secret and they wondered why Sinner was allowed to continue competing until the matter was resolved.

Sinner said in a statement on social media: “I will now put this challenging and extremely unfortunate period behind me. “I will continue to do everything I can to ensure that I remain in compliance with (the sport’s) anti-doping (program), and I am surrounded by a team that adheres to the regulations meticulously.”

READ: Jannik Sinner proven innocent after failing anti-doping test

Not everyone is ready to move on, and it will be interesting to see how much attention Sinner receives from other players, spectators and the media as he competes as the top seed in the final Grand Slam of the year.

“There are different rules for different players,” 2021 Wimbledon semifinalist Denis Shapovalov wrote on social media.

Here are some questions related to the Sinner event:

Who is Jannik Sinner?

Sinner, a 23-year-old Italian who rose to No. 1 in the ATP rankings for the first time in June, is considered one of the leading names in the next wave of men’s tennis stars after the Big Three of Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic.

Sinner’s first Grand Slam trophy came at the Australian Open in January, where he eliminated Djokovic in the semifinals and then overcame a two-set deficit to defeat Daniil Medvedev in the final.

He has a 48-5 record and five titles on tour; his most recent came on Monday at the Cincinnati Open.

Read: World No. 1 Jannik Sinner defeats Frances Tiafoe to win Cincinnati Open

What is Clostebol, the drug that Sinner tested positive for?

Clostebol is an anabolic steroid sold in some countries, such as Italy, as over-the-counter creams and sprays for the treatment of cuts and scrapes.

It is considered a performance-enhancing drug, and multiple athletes across multiple sports have been suspended after testing positive for it; one high-profile example is San Diego Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr., who was suspended for 80 games by Major League Baseball in 2022.

In March, during the Indian Wells tournament in California, Sinner submitted a urine sample that showed traces of clostebol; an out-of-competition sample eight days later also tested positive.

Why was Sinner allowed to continue competing?

Sinner was provisionally suspended for testing positive twice, but he appealed his suspension, saying he was accidentally exposed to the steroid. He argued that one of his players bought a spray containing clotibol in Italy and gave it to another player – a physiotherapist – who cut his finger. Sinner said the physiotherapist then gave him a massage, thereby transmitting the substance to Sinner.

The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), which is responsible for anti-doping and anti-corruption investigations in tennis, accepted his explanation, as did an independent tribunal, which found that Sinner was not negligent or at fault.

Was Sinner punished?

Because one of the positive tests occurred during the tournament, Sinner had to forfeit $325,000 in prize money and the 400 ranking points he earned by reaching the semifinals in Indian Wells.

What do other players think about Sinner’s case?

Many players took to social media to voice their opinions on the latest high-profile doping case in tennis, which included Grand Slam champions Maria Sharapova and Simona Halep having their bans reduced on appeal.

Nick Kyrgios, the 2022 Wimbledon runner-up, called the situation “ridiculous” and said he thought the ban was justified.

Tennys Sandgren, a two-time Australian Open quarterfinalist, said Sinner’s explanation of how the steroids got into his system “seems to make sense,” but added, “It does seem unfair how it was handled compared to other players.”

It was also noted that Jenson Brooksby and Mikael Ymer were both suspended for missing Tests.

“I do think they protect the top players. By ‘protect’ — they keep it secret for months. If you’re a top player, they keep certain things secret because they don’t want to be exposed by the media, and the players don’t want to be exposed by the media. It all comes out in three months anyway,” said Chris Evert, an 18-time Grand Slam champion and now an ESPN analyst. “I do think they are protected a little bit, more than Joe Smith, who is ranked No. 400 in the world, is protected.”