‘I don’t think Sinner is a doper based on the facts that have been put out there’ — US anti-doping chief

Iga Świątek of Poland in action against Jasmine Paolini of Italy during the Billie Jean King Cup Finals semi-final match between Poland and Italy at Palacio de Deportes Jose Maria Martin Carpena on November 18, 2024 in Malaga, Spain (Photo by Robert Prange/Getty Images)

By Craig Ray

5 Dec 2024

Head of the US Anti-Doping Agency Travis Tygart believes the evidence shows that tennis No 1 Jannik Sinner is not a doper.

The case that found men’s world No 1 tennis player Jannik Sinner not guilty of a doping offence has received support from an unlikely source – the head of the US Anti-Doping Agency (Usada).

Usada chief executive Travis Tygart, the man who famously prosecuted cyclist Lance Armstrong, which led to a lifetime ban, believes Sinner’s case was appropriately dealt with by tennis’ authorities.

“If he (Sinner) is a doper, which I don’t think he is based on the facts that have been put out there, then a “no fault” finding was a perfectly appropriate outcome based on the rules and the facts,” Tygart told Daily Maverick.

Sinner returned a positive sample taken on 10 March which was found to contain traces of the banned anabolic agent clostebol.

A second sample was taken eight days later and had the same adverse finding.

doping Sinner Tygart Travis Tygart, CEO of the US Anti-Doping Agency, speaks during an Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee hearing in Washington on ‘examining anti-doping measures’ before the 2024 Olympics, on 25 June 2024. President of the World Anti-Doping Agency Witold Baka declined an invitation to testify as the agency navigates scandal surrounding investigations into alleged doping by Chinese swimmers. (Photo: Nathan Howard / Getty Images)

Last week, it emerged that women’s world No 2 and five-time Grand Slam winner Iga Świątek had accepted a one-month suspension after testing positive for the banned substance trimetazidine (TMZ).

Both players faced tribunals and were provisionally suspended, as the rules demanded, and both were cleared.

But tennis’ image has suffered with two of the sport’s most high-profile players involved in doping scandals.

The notion that Sinner and Świątek received favourable treatment as superstars, has dogged the cases, with many players speaking out against the perceived preferential treatment.

That has been denied by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA).

“The player (Świątek) was provisionally suspended from 12 September until 4 October, missing three tournaments, which counts towards the sanction, leaving eight days remaining,” the integrity agency said.

“In addition, the player also forfeits prize money from the Cincinnati Open, the tournament directly following the test.”

Sinner Jannik Sinner plays a backhand during the Davis Cup Final match against the Netherlands in Malaga, Spain, on 24 November 2024. (Photo: Giampiero Sposito / Getty Images)

Sinner case

In the Sinner case, Tygart believes the correct procedure was followed.

Tygart, in a recent interview with Daily Maverick (before news of the Świątek case broke) spoke on a broad range of doping issues, including the Sinner case.

He rejected the idea that Sinner had somehow received preferential treatment from the ITIA’s appointed tribunal.

Tygart used the case of 23 Chinese swimmers, who tested positive for TMZ months before the Covid-delayed Tokyo Olympics began in July 2021, as the benchmark for poor handling of a doping issue.

A report determined that all the swimmers who tested positive were staying at the same hotel where traces of TMZ, a heart medication, were found in the kitchen, the extraction unit above the hall and drainage units. None was provisionally suspended, as the regulations demand.

Read more: Trust, transparency? The not-so-strict liability of Wada’s handling of the Chinese swimming doping controversy

“Unlike the Chinese TMZ 23, the rules, and if you’re referring to the Sinner case in particular, the rules were followed,” Tygart told Daily Maverick.

“Transparency was upheld. Why was he (Sinner) not provisionally suspended? Well, he was. But he appealed it, and they lifted it. That’s within the rules.

“Compare that to the Chinese cases. They never even provisionally suspended the athletes, and the rules are absolutely clear on that type of positive. You have to be suspended.

“You can challenge it, and an independent hearing officer can lift the provision, which is what happened in the Sinner case. Then the outcome of the case found no fault.

“Again, contrast that with what happened in China.

“While I appreciate the commentary and the discussion (of the Sinner case), the fact that we’re able to have that commentary and discussion is because they (the ITIA) did follow the rules.

“It was open and is in the public domain. Contrast that with what happened in China. It’s night and day, and for the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) to allow what happened in China to happen in the way that it did, is outrageous.

“We all should be upset that the global regulator allowed the rules not to apply as they should apply.”

Poland’s Iga Świątek in action against Jasmine Paolini of Italy during the Billie Jean King Cup semifinal at Palacio de Deportes Jose Maria Martin Carpena in Malaga, Spain, on 18 November 2024. (Photo: Robert Prange / Getty Images)

Plausible excuse

The ITIA accepted Sinner’s defence that the illegal substance had entered his system through massages and sports therapy by a member of his support team.

Sinner went on to win the US Open and end the year ranked No 1, winning in excess of $16.9-million in prize money in 2024.

They also accepted Świątek’s explanation that it was caused by contamination of her medication melatonin, which was manufactured and sold in Poland.

Świątek had been taking it for jet lag and sleep issues and as there was no significant fault or negligence, the integrity agency offered the reigning French Open champion a one-month suspension which the 23-year-old accepted.

At first glance, Sinner’s excuse seems implausible, but Tygart has some sympathy.

“Sinner’s samples showed less than one nanogram of clostebol, which is minute,” Tygart said.

“It was like 500 picograms. There is an experiment that the Cologne Laboratory did where they got this medication, this lotion over the counter, and they rubbed it on their hands.

“They let their hands dry and a little while later, they went and shook hands with someone else.

“They then took the urine from that someone else. The results showed they had a low-level of 500 picograms of clostebol.

“So, as outrageous as this (Sinner) scenario sounds, we know it could happen.”

Wada appeal

In the Sinner case, Wada is set to appeal the outcome at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

Wada is appealing the verdict because it believes that the independent tribunal’s outcome that there was “no fault or negligence” by Sinner, is incorrect.

Wada would seek “a period of ineligibility of between one and two years” against Sinner.

Tygart is slightly bemused by Wada’s reaction, especially when set against the way it handled the Chinese swimming case.

“What people and athletes are battling to understand is how this can happen after so much time,” Tygart said.

“How can the winner of the US Open and other events since the hearing, and who was cleared through the process (which was handled correctly) now face a Wada appeal and a two-year suspension?

“My view is that if this was our (Usada) case, we would have done everything within our power to appeal quickly. You can do an appeal within five days.

“It should have been done before he went and won the US Open and other events. There was plenty of time to do that.

“The facts of the case are very simple because it’s a legal issue.

“Wada is getting a second bite at the same apple that an independent tribunal under the ITIA devised.

“The rules maybe need to be better addressed to ensure those types of situations are more easily understood.” DM

Categories:

Tags:

DM is much better if you are signed in...

Sport

Sinner case

Plausible excuse

Wada appeal