Former Anti-Doping Official Questions Handling of Jannik Sinner’s Doping Case: “Always Use the Same Strategy”

Jannik Sinner has set up a fourth-round clash with France's Adrian Mannarino after knocking out Gabriel Diallo in Cincinnati.

Former Anti-Doping Official Questions Handling of Jannik Sinner’s Doping Case: “Always Use the Same Strategy”

Jannik Sinner (Image via ATP/X)

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Jannik Sinner has served his ban and is leaving his doping saga behind to focus on the present. But there are still discussions about how his case was handled by the anti-doping agencies.

Recently, Jean-Pierre Verdy, a former official of the French Anti-Doping Agency (AFLD), gave his verdict on Sinner’s case. He suggested that both the anti-doping agencies were lenient toward him because of his high-profile status. He told La Depeche:

It’s light compared to the substance and the average athlete who would be caught with this same substance… Anyone else would have received two or three years in the same case.

Sinner was contaminated by anabolic steroid clostebol during physiotherapy sessions, but avoided a lengthy ban because he bore no fault or negligence in the verdict given by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA). But ITIA’s judgment was challenged by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), and they approached the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to demand a ban of one to two years.

But WADA took everyone by surprise when, in February this year, they announced that they withdrew the appeal and banned Sinner just for three months. The three-month ban was labeled convenient because the World No.1 did not miss any Grand Slam tournament.

Yes, but they always use a third party. It’s the fiancee, it’s the product that was administered to her without her full consent… They all use this excuse, this time it’s his masseur, but it’s always the same strategy.

Jean-Pierre Verdy added

After serving the ban, Sinner made his comeback at the Italian Open, only to reach the final and lose in straight sets to Carlos Alcaraz. Next, he was denied the French Open title after a five-hour, 29-minute battle in the final against the Spaniard. After losing in the second round of the Halle Open to eventual winner Alexander Bublik, the 23-year-old lifted the Wimbledon trophy by avenging his French Open defeat.

Jannik Sinner beats Gabriel Diallo after saving a set point

Although Jannik Sinner clinched the first set 6-2 against Gabriel Diallo in the third round of the Cincinnati Masters, he was on the cusp of losing the second set. He eventually won it, but not before saving a set point.

Jannik Sinner Cincinnati 2025
Jannik Sinner (image via Instagram/Jannik Sinner)

Sinner had a bad day in the office. It was his first meeting against the Canadian ace, and now Sinner has scheduled his career’s fourth match against France’s Adrian Mannarino.

It was a very difficult day at the office. He was serving very well, especially in the second set… If you don’t play well in tough situations like this, you can lose these matches.

En route to his 6-2, 7-6(6) win, play was halted for a while as a fire alarm started to ring in the second set. Prior to their clash, Taylor Fritz versus Lorenzo Sonego also saw a 75-minute delay, this time, because of a power cut.

Sinner holds a 3-0 head-to-head lead over Mannarino, but the upcoming match will be their first meeting since the 2023 Indian Wells third round. The 37-year-old knocked out home favorite Tommy Paul before scheduling the clash with the first seed.

Sinner is aiming to defend a Masters 1000 title for the first time. He is 27-3 this season, and is on a 22-match winning streak on hard-courts since his defeat to Carlos Alcaraz in the China Open final last year.

The Cincinnati event is his first since his Wimbledon triumph. He is just 10 wins away from reaching 300 career wins. So far this season, he has reached four finals and won the Wimbledon and the Australian Open titles. Last year in the Cincinnati final, he beat home favorite Frances Tiafoe.

Also read: Daniil Medvedev Makes Alarming ‘Confidence’ Remarks After Crisis Deepens at Cincinnati Open