World No.1 Jannik Sinner has avoided a doping ban after the ITIA accepted that he was exposed to a banned anabolic steroid during a massage.

Jannik Sinner

Jannik Sinner beat Frances Tiafoe in the Cincinnati Masters final (Image: Getty Images)

“I will now put this challenging and deeply unfortunate period behind me,” said Sinner. “I will continue to do everything I can to ensure I continue to comply with the ITIA’s anti-doping programme and I have a team around me that are meticulous in their own compliance.”

In some instances, unintentional anti-doping violations can lead to a ban of up to two years. Although Sinner has been stripped of the 400 ranking points and £250,000 prize money he earned for reaching the semifinals at Indian Wells, he is allowed to resume playing immediately, starting with the U.S. Open next week.

Cincinnati Open 2024 - Final Day

Sinner is leading men’s tennis at this moment in time (Image: Getty Images)

Despite the loss of ranking points, Sinner’s position at the top of the men’s world rankings remains unaffected, where he maintains a significant lead over his closest competitor, Novak Djokovic. Sinner’s attorney Jamie Singer, weighed in on the ITIA’s decision stating: “Anti-doping rules have to be very strict to be effective. Sadly the unfortunate consequence is that, occasionally, entirely innocent athletes get caught up in them.

“There is no question that Jannik is innocent in this case. The ITIA did not challenge that key principle. However, under strict liability rules Jannik is responsible for whatever is in his system, even when entirely unaware of it, as in this exceptional case.”

After clinching a victory at the Cincinnati Masters, an elated Sinner is gearing up for the year’s final Grand Slam at Flushing Meadows with newfound confidence. Despite dealing with a hip injury, the Italian powerhouse ousted Andrey Rublev and Alexander Zverev, then triumphed over Frances Tiafoe in straight sets to win the final.

“Now, for sure, it’s important to recover, to be ready for New York,” Sinner said. “This is our main goal here for this U.S. swing.”