The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has launched an appeal against the decision to clear world No. 1 tennis player Jannik Sinner of negligence or fault after twice failing doping tests. Sinner tested positive for clostebol in March 2024, a type of performance-enhancing steroid that is prohibited under Section S1 of WADA’s Prohibited List. The Italian was cleared of wrongdoing by an independent tribunal of the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) in August.

But WADA has now launched an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, contesting that “the finding of ‘no fault or negligence’ was not correct under the applicable rules” and calling for Sinner to be suspended for one to two years. “It is WADA’s view that the finding of ‘no fault or negligence’ was not correct under the applicable rules. 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.

And the Italian reacted to the development after securing a three-set win to reach the quarter-finals. “All three hearings came out very positively for me. I knew it a couple of days ago, that they were going to appeal, that today it’s going to go official.”

The decision to clear Sinner of wrongdoing came after the ITIA concluded that the Italian had been accidentally contaminated by his team, who used “an over-the-counter spray containing clostebol to their own skin to treat a small wound.” The decision to clear Sinner caused some controversy within the sport, with questions raised over the lack of consistency by the ITIA.

Nick Kyrgios wrote on X: “Ridiculous – whether it was accidental or planned. You get tested twice with a banned substance, you should be gone for 2 years. Your performance was enhanced.”