Tennis star Janik Sinner says positive steroid tests came from a spray used during a massage - NBC News

[Rohan Nadkarni]

Janik Sinner, the No. 1 ranked men’s tennis player, will be sanctioned — but not suspended — after twice testing positive for an anabolic steroid earlier this year.

Sinner tested positive on March 10 for clostebol after the hard-court event at Indian Wells, then tested positive again eight days later after an out-of-competition test. Sinner was provisionally suspended but he appealed, allowing him to continue playing during an investigation. The inquiry by the International Tennis Integrity Agency revealed Sinner ingested the substance accidentally.

“I will now put this challenging and deeply unfortunate period behind me,” Sinner said Tuesday in a statement on Instagram. “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.”

According to the ITIA, Sinner explained that the substance entered his system due to contamination from a support team member who had been applying an over-the-counter spray containing clostebol to their own skin to treat a small wound.

The substance made its way into Skinner after receiving massages and therapy from the team member.

“Following consultation with scientific experts, who concluded that the player’s explanation was credible, the ITIA did not oppose the player’s appeals to lift the provisional suspensions," the organization said in a statement.

A hearing on Aug. 15 in front of a Sport Resolutions independent tribunal “determined a finding of No Fault or Negligence applied in the case,” per the ITIA.

Sinner, 23, has been ranked No. 1 since June. He won the Australian Open in January. He also made the semifinals and quarterfinals at the French Open and Wimbledon, respectively. Due to his positive test, Sinner will still lose his prize money and ranking points from the ATP Masters 1000 event.

Sinner will be among the favorites to win the U.S. Open in New York, which kicked off yesterday.

The World Anti-Doping Agency and the Italian Anti-Doping Agency can both appeal the decision by the council.

CORRECTION (Aug. 20, 2024, 6:45 p.m. ET): A previous version of this article misstated when Janik Sinner won the Australian Open. He won the tournament in January, not July.