World Anti-doping Agency (WADA) general counsel Ross Wenzel says the case of Jannik Sinner was “a million miles away from doping”, Afrosport reports.
Sinner was handed an immediate three-month ban by WADA on Saturday after reaching a settlement over his two positive drug tests last year.
The 23-year-old was cleared of any wrongdoing by an independent panel after testing positive for banned e clostebol in March 2024.
WADA had been seeking a ban of up to two years after launching an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) following the initial decision by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) not to suspend Sinner.
Sinner has stated that he was contaminated by his physiotherapist, who was treating a cut on his hand with an over-the-counter spray, which was later found to contain the banned substance.
The development has divided the tennis world, with some questioning timing and length of the ban, how Sinner was able to agree a deal and inconsistencies between recent doping cases.
“This was a case that was a million miles away from doping” WADA general counsel Ross Wenzel told BBC Sport.
“The scientific feedback that we received was that this could not be a case of intentional doping, including micro-dosing.”
Wenzel added: “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.
“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.”
Three-time Grand Slam champion, Stan Wawrinka does not believe in a clean sport any more.
Former world number one, Novak Djokovic also said the governing bodies of tennis should urgently overhaul the sport’s anti-doping system.
