Jannik Sinner ban explained: World No. 1 returns for Italian Open
Jannik Sinner is back in business.
Jannik Sinner will return to an elite tennis court after serving a three-month doping ban.
The men's world No. 1 last played in the Australian Open final, which he won, in Melbourne at the end of January.
Sinner has maintained his position as world No. 1 throughout his suspension, which has drawn sympathy and criticism from players across the ATP Tour and WTA Tour as well as from former legends of the game.
But why exactly was Sinner banned from competing in recent tournaments? And what happens next?
RadioTimes.com has rounded up all the details you should know about Jannik Sinner's controversial doping ban.
Jannik Sinner ban explained
In August 2024, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) announced Sinner had provided two positive tests for clostebol in March 2024.
It also revealed an independent hearing found Sinner had displayed "no fault or negligence" and accepted the explanation that the Italian star had inadvertently taken the anabolic steroid into his system via a spray used during a massage from his physiotherapist.
Shortly after the announcement, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) lodged an appeal against the ruling of "no fault or negligence" with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) and sought to ban Sinner for between one and two years.
The appeal was set to be discussed in April 2025, but in the end, it was not heard.
In February 2025, shortly after Sinner's Australian Open triumph, it was announced that he had entered a settlement with WADA prior to the appeal hearing.
The terms meant the men's world No. 1 would accept a three-month ban, starting on 9th February and finishing in time for Sinner to compete on home soil at the Italian Open, with a run-up to the second Grand Slam of the year at Roland-Garros.
The length of the ban has been criticised, as well as the convenience of not missing any of the four major Slams, by many figures throughout the tennis world.
In the initial aftermath of the settlement, former British No. 1 Tim Henman said: “First and foremost I don’t think in any way he has been trying to cheat at any stage, I don’t believe that. However, when I read this statement this morning it just seems a little bit too convenient.
"When you’re dealing with drugs in sport it very much has to be black and white, it’s binary, it’s positive or negative, you’re banned or you’re not banned.
“When you start reading words like settlement or agreement, it feels like there’s been a negotiation and I don’t think that will sit well with the player cohort and the fans of the sport.”
Maverick Australian star Nick Kyrgios posted on X: “Obviously Sinner’s team have done everything in their power to just go ahead and take a three-month ban, no titles lost, no prize money lost. Guilty or not? Sad day for tennis. Fairness in tennis does not exist.”
The 23-time Grand Slam champion Serena Williams said: "I love the guy, I love his game. He's great for the sport. I've been put down so much, I don't want to bring anyone down. Men's tennis needs him. If I did that, I would have gotten 20 years. Let's be honest. I would have gotten Grand Slams taken away from me."
On the other hand, Italian Tennis and Padel Federation president Angelo Binaghi branded the ordeal “a shameful injustice” adding that the settlement “demonstrates Jannik’s innocence” and that “all of Italy” will welcome him back at the Italian Open.
Women's world No. 2 Iga Swiatek said: "I assume that it must have been a tough time, tough process. I’ve been through something similar. I guess I don’t wish for any player for these kind of things to happen. I hope he’s going to be over it soon and he will just get back to tennis."
The issue is formally closed following the conclusion of Jannik Sinner's ban, but that won't stop it from being the main talking point in Rome.
You can watch the Italian Open 2025 live on Sky Sports Tennis from Tuesday 6th May 2025 until the final on Sunday 18th May 2025.
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Authors
Michael Potts is the Sport Editor for Radio Times, covering all of the biggest sporting events across the globe with previews, features, interviews and more. He has worked for Radio Times since 2019 and previously worked on the sport desk at Express.co.uk after starting his career writing features for What Culture. He achieved a first-class degree in Sports Journalism in 2014.
