WADA to appeal Jannik Sinner doping verdict, seeks suspension - ESPN

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against an independent tribunal's decision in August to clear world No.1 Jannik Sinner of wrongdoing after he failed drug tests, WADA said on Saturday.

The tribunal's finding of «no fault or negligence» was not correct under the applicable rules, WADA said in a statement.

WADA said it would seek «a period of ineligibility of between one and two years» for Italy's Sinner, who won the Australian Open and the U.S Open this year.

The announcement was made while Sinner was on court against Roman Safiullin at the China Open in Beijing.

Sinner tested positive twice for an anabolic steroid in March but was not banned in a decision by an independent tribunal announced by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) on Aug. 20 because the ITIA determined he was not to blame.

Sinner's accepted explanation was that the banned performance-enhancer entered his system unintentionally through a massage from his physiotherapist, who used a spray containing the steroid to treat their own cut finger.

WADA said it filed an appeal on Thursday to the Switzerland-based CAS.

«It is WADA's view that the finding of 'no fault or negligence' was not correct under the applicable rules,» WADA said in a statement. «WADA is seeking a period of ineligibility of between one and two years. WADA is not seeking a disqualification of any results, save that which has already been imposed by the tribunal of first instance.»

WADA suggested the rules were not followed correctly despite a prosecutor for tennis's integrity body — which accepted Sinner's version of events — being a lawyer who regularly works on high-profile cases for the global watchdog, including the