No appeal within 21 days of Jannik Sinner drugs ruling but WADA still considers case open

It’s been 21 days since the ITIA (International Tennis Integrity Agency) announced its ruling on world No 1 Jannik Sinner’s two positive tests earlier this year and so far, no appeal has been filed by Nado Italia (the Italian anti-doping agency) or the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).

However, WADA has clarified that it still considers the case open and would have approximately three additional weeks to make an appeal if it chooses to do so.

As per reports, the ticker to begin the 21-day window to make an appeal starts when the agencies receive the final ruling or any additional information they ask for. The ruling came on August 19 but it is not known when it was received by the agencies.

WADA confirmed to the Associated Press that the initial 21-day window applies to Nado Italia and that WADA has an additional 21 days to make an appeal to the International Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

The secretariat of CAS confirmed to Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera that no appeal on the Sinner case was received as of Tuesday,

As per the same report, WADA considers “the case still open and the investigation in progress” on the basis of a paragraph of article 13.2 of the Anti-Doping Code (specifically 13.2.3.5).

Two positive tests in March

Sinner tested positive twice for the banned steroid, Clostobol, on two occasions in March but avoided a potential ban after his explanation – that the drug entered his system via contamination from a spray used by his physio for his own personal use – was accepted. The level of the drug in his system was also considered extremely low.

The news only came out the week before the US Open. Sinner was officially handed a provisional suspension on both occasions, which would normally be made public. But players have a 10-day window to prove contamination – and a panel agreed that his explanation was plausible, allowing him to continue playing.

Sinner won his second Grand Slam title at the US Open on Sunday.

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