WADA defends ban on Jannik Sinner with bizarre claim amid furore
WADA has addressed the ongoing furore into Jannik Sinner's three-month ban, declaring the case "was a million miles away from doping".
The anti-doping authority appealed the initial ruling from the International Tennis Integrity Agency and had been seeking a ban of one to two years.
However, a settlement was reached of three months after Sinner's positive test for the banned substance clostebol in March 2024.
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Sinner has consistently pleaded his innocence, declaring it was contaminated by his physiotherapist who was treating a cut with an over-the-counter spray that had the substance.
Jannik Sinner has been hit with a three-month ban. Getty
Tennis players have spoken out against the three-month ruling, including Stan Wawrinka, Novak Djokovic and Nick Kyrgios.
However, WADA general counsel Ross Wenzel defended the decision.
"This was a case that was a million miles away from doping," he told BBC Sport.
"The scientific feedback that we received was that this could not be a case of intentional doping, including micro-dosing."
Wenzel went on to state there'd been mixed reaction to the call.
"WADA has received messages from those that consider that the sanction was too high and, in some respects, if you have some saying this is unfair on the athlete, and others saying it's not enough, maybe it's an indication that although it's not going to be popular with everyone, maybe it's an indication that it was in the right place," he said.
"When we look at these cases we try to look at them technically, operationally and we don't do it with fear of what the public and the politicians or anyone is going to say."
