The sea looked relatively calm and composed when Jannik Sinner sailed all the way to secure the second Grand Slam title of his career at the US Open. However, things are starting to look bad for him. There’s a new twist in the tale of Jannik Sinner’s doping saga! The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has announced that it has officially appealed the decision that found Sinner was not at fault after testing positive for a controlled substance. What’s ahead for the athlete?

Well, WADA is now seeking a two-year ban for Jannik Sinner! Several tennis experts, including Roger Federer’s former coach Paul Annacone, have recently shared their opinions on this. But before jumping to the comments and analysis, let’s first take a glimpse at the timeline surrounding this controversial incident.

Jannik Sinner tested positive for Clostebol in March. An investigation was conducted by an independent tribunal commissioned by the ITIA. During that investigation, it was reported that Sinner came in contact with the substance through his former physiotherapist, Giacomo Naldi. His physiotherapist was using a spray to treat his own wounds, and it was suspected that the spray contained Clostebol which rubbed onto the tennis player during massages. It is said that Naldi was not wearing gloves while working on Sinner. So the ITIA accepted that explanation and cleared Sinner of all charges, claiming he bore “No fault or negligence.”

Then, on September 28, WADA lodged an official appeal of ITIA’s ruling with the CAS. They argued that ITIA’s findings were “not correct under the applicable rules.”

Now speaking about WADA’s appeal to ban Jannik Sinner during the latest episode of the Tennis Channel Live Podcast, Paul Annacone said, “I feel terrible for Jannik Sinner. I mean, he’s one of the high-integrity players of the Tour. One of the most well-liked players. I’m sure he didn’t do anything on purpose, but in that regard what that mean? It all depends on how you read the rule and how you interpret the rule.”

“I remember I was a part of the board of directors when a lot of the initial drug testing started to get underway and all of the officials kept telling all the players, ”Guys, you have to really watch every single thing that goes into your body. If you are not sure, you call us. If you are not sure, we will give you a doctor’. And that list is grown now to this thick. It’s so difficult to track. …In my opinion, I don’t doubt that he’s innocent at all. It’s a matter of how the interpretation goes… It’s really hard for everyone to get a good grip that everything is being evaluated the same way from case to case and that’s where I think the biggest problem is,” Annacone said on the Tennis Channel Live Podcast.

This definitely sounds bad for Sinner. While WADA is suggesting a ban, they have not suggested any of his results to be deemed as disqualification. So his US Open victory will not be overturned. At the same time, Sinner’s placing at Indian Wells in March has already been removed.

Earlier this month, we also heard Roger Federer speak on this topic for the very first time. Federer also said, “I understand the frustration of: Has he been treated the same as others? And I think this is where it comes down to. We all trust pretty much at the end, he didn’t do anything.”

However, the Swiss Maestro’s questions about “inconsistency” in dealing with cases raised a few eyebrows at the time. This new appeal from WADA has once again sparked controversy in the tennis world surrounding this topic. What does Jannik Sinner have to say about this?

“I am disappointed”: Jannik Sinner’s reaction to WADA’s appeal

Jannik Sinner has shared his thoughts on this controversial incident multiple times during previous interviews. Currently, he is in Beijing, taking part in the 2024 China Open. Reflecting on his thoughts about WADA’s appeal during an interview in Beijing, Sinner said, “I am disappointed to hear that WADA have chosen to appeal the result of my ITIA hearing after the independent judges had exonerated me and deemed me to be innocent. Over the past few months and throughout this process there have been three separate hearings in each case confirming my innocence.”

Although he mentioned that he understood that vigilance was essential in keeping tennis a clean sport, Sinner failed to see the purpose of dragging his case in front of new judges. However, the Italian star didn’t forget to mention, “I have nothing to hide, and as I have done throughout the summer, I will cooperate fully with the appeal process and provide whatever may be needed to prove my innocence once again.”

Several tennis experts have come up with multiple opinions on this case and many are in support of Sinner. The amount of Clostebol’s traces found was less than a billionth of a gram and in fact, was accepted by a panel of three independent scientific experts that it cannot be established as cheating.

What are your thoughts on WADA’s recent appeal on Jannik Sinner’s doping case? Let us know in the comments below.