Huge confusion in Jannik Sinner's case. The Italian did not want to listen to lawyers

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The three-month suspension of Jannik Sinner (23) has divided the tennis world: some believe the punishment is too mild, others too harsh. The sanction is the result of an agreement that Sinner's team has reached with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

However, as revealed by the BBC investigation, the Italian initially did not want to accept WADA's offer. "Jannik asked: 'Why should I do this when the first instance cleared me of the charges?'" - revealed his lawyer Jamie Singer. Sinner referred to the International Tennis Integrity Agency, which did not suspend him last summer despite two positive tests for the steroid Clostebol.

Sinner’s team, however, feared that WADA would not be so lenient in its approach. If he did not accept the agreement, WADA could refer the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). “You never know what will happen in a hearing like that,” Singer’s lawyer explained. “We know that WADA wanted a one-year suspension. If we do not accept their offer, they will go to court and ask for a one-year suspension. And no one knows what the three judges will decide.”

The background of the case shows that even the prosecutors did not believe in Sinner's guilt. "This case is not about doping. The scientific evidence supports it," said Ross Wenzel of WADA. "Before CAS, Sinner would have been either acquitted or suspended for at least a year." In Wenzel's opinion, both scenarios would be unfair: "An acquittal would undermine key principles of our rules. And a long suspension would be an unnecessarily harsh punishment."

That is also why WADA is planning changes to the rules from 2027. If an athlete, like Sinner, is found innocent despite a positive test result, he will only be able to count on a warning. "Under the new rules, Sinner would only receive a symbolic warning," says an anonymous WADA employee.

For many observers, the three-month suspension that Sinner eventually accepted is just a symbolic warning. The world number 1 will not miss any Grand Slam tournaments during this time and will be eligible to return to play on the ATP Tour at a home tournament in Rome in early May.