The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) is facing a wave of criticism, and it seems the heat isn’t dying down anytime soon. After the ruling in Jannik Sinner’s doping case—where an independent tribunal ruled that Sinner hadn’t intentionally used any banned substance—fans and players were quick to call out the agency’s handling of the situation. Now, the ITIA is back under scrutiny following its latest judgment on Czech player Nikola Bartunkova. The ruling has left the tennis community buzzing, with many questioning the agency’s approach and consistency. 

The ITIA took to its X account to share an update on the ongoing case of the rising Czech star and shared that she accepted a six-month ban under the tennis Anti-Doping program. The player, who ranked 226 in April this year on the professional circuit, tested positive for trimetazidine in February-March, a banned substance for athletes. She was immediately suspended and a ban from playing matches was imposed on her. However, things took a turn during the investigation by the ITIA.

Following an investigation, the ITIA released a statement and said that the positive results were caused by “ the contamination of a supplement containing milk thistle extract, that the violation was not intentional, and that the player bore no significant fault or negligence.” The supplement was also tested by the WADA-accredited Sports Medicine Research & Testing Laboratory (SMRTL) in Utah, USA, which confirmed the contamination. Bartunkova, meanwhile, would be eligible again to participate in tournaments with her ban lifted on November 11. However, the entire case and the ban that was imposed on the player did not seem to go well with the fans. 

Several users took to social media and slammed the ITIA accusing it of preferential treatment towards Jannik Sinner who also faced a similar situation. Fans also claimed that Bartunkova had to face a six-month ban since she is a lower-ranked player.

ITIA in hot waters for Jannik Sinner’s doping case

Taking to X, one user wrote, “That’s another travesty in the Italian ITIA circus. They have also  disabled comments to avoid questioning on their Jannik Sinner sh*t.” Sinner’s struggles started after he tested positive twice for low levels of a metabolite of clostebol during Indian Wells. However, the ruling of the ITIA went in his favor which stated that Sinner did not have an intentional role to play, and was let go with the loss of points that he earned during the Indian Wells and a fine. 

It was found that Sinner’s ex-physio, Giacomo Naldi used a spray that contained the substance to treat an injury on his finger. However, since he massaged the Italian player without gloves, it resulted in Sinner testing positive. However, the ruling was not admitted by many and the latest flak is an example of the same.

Responding to the post, another user wrote, “No fault or negligence in this doping case but he accepts six month ban. Hello Jannik Sinner who was banned for hours only and has continued to play, make Millions, steal the number one slot and the rest of it. 🤢 double standards.” For the unversed, the case revolving around Sinner gained headlines after the Cincinnati Masters when the ITIA issued a judgment. Since then, he has appeared in three tournaments excluding the ATP Finals, and won two of them, which also include the US Open. The world no. 1 player also bagged the runner-up title in the third. However, fans believe that he should have faced a similar ban and must have been barred from playing. 

“And the Sinner case? There is something murky in the ATP…. Some are penalized and Sinner NO. What is behind these privileges towards a tennis player accused of doping 2 times by Clostebol and who does not receive a sanction? While the rest receive harsh sanctions,” wrote another user. The latest criticisms against Sinner come at a time when many in the tennis community are expressing their support for the player, with the head of the Italian Tennis Federation, Angelo Binaghi joining the fray in the player’s favor.

Talking to the Associated Press, Binaghi slammed Sinner’s critics and said, “Apart from a few imbeciles, people all around the world understand what happened. No matter what type of decision is issued, there’s no doubt that Sinner is one of the cleanest and most honest athletes in world sport.” But these supports are not stopping critics from taking a dig at Sinner or the ITIA.

One more user commented on the latest case and wrote “They only ban the lower ranked ones… to save face.” Remember, the furor that erupted after ITIA’s ruling in Sinner’s case, prompted WADA to file an appeal in the Court of Arbitration for Sports (CAS) demanding stringent punishment for the player. However, Sinner has continued to play tournaments despite the final verdict on the case yet to be released. Hence, fans have considered the entire process as partial.

Yet another user took a dig at ITIA and wrote, “so an unintentional contamination is a 6 months ban… unless you’re ranked high.” As backlashes continue to gain momentum, it would be crucial to see if Jannik Sinner or ITIA comes out to give a justification.