“The application of the rules does not correspond to the case law”: WADA director provides details on the appeal against Jannik Sinner.

Jannik Sinner's doping case remains unresolved as the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) awaits the result of its appeal. Director Olivier Niggli discussed the key element in this phase of the process while waiting for a new ruling.

The World No. 1 tested positive twice for clostebol in March during Indian Wells. Sinner appealed and avoided a provisional suspension, and later, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) ruled that he had committed "no fault or negligence."

WADA targets Sinner's team responsibility

Sinner was exposed to clostebol due to the actions of a team member. His physiotherapist treated cuts on his hands with a skin cream containing clostebol shortly before massaging Sinner. Allegedly, the lack of gloves and small cuts on Sinner's legs led to clostebol entering his body.

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It was, however, a minuscule amount that reportedly did not affect his performance. The 23-year-old tennis star disclosed the situation in August, shortly before starting his US Open campaign. While it seemed Sinner could put the issue behind him, WADA announced in October that it would appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), seeking a suspension of one to two years.

For now, there will be no ruling until 2025, and Sinner is confirmed to compete in the Australian Open. However, CAS is expected to deliver a new resolution in the coming months. In recent remarks to AFP, WADA’s director general Olivier Niggli stated that their aim is not to prove Sinner’s "guilt" but rather to address the level of responsibility he must assume for his team’s decisions.

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"Our position is that there is still a responsibility of the athlete in relation to his entourage. So it is this legal point that will be debated (before CAS)," Niggli told AFP. "We do not dispute the fact that it could have been a contamination. But we believe that the application of the rules does not correspond to the case law."

Niggli also emphasized the importance of protecting athletes in such cases, particularly their reputations. "Personally, I think that protecting an athlete’s reputation should be our first concern. We live in a world where social media is what it is, and this means a reputation can go up in smoke in a very, very short time."