Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner, currently the world's top-ranked tennis player, has accepted a three-month suspension, effective from February 9th to May 4th. This agreement with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) resolves the dispute surrounding his two positive drug tests last year. He will be eligible to compete in the French Open, starting May 19th.

WADA had appealed the International Tennis Integrity Agency's (ITIA) 2024 decision not to suspend Sinner, seeking a longer ban. However, WADA now accepts Sinner's explanation that the banned substance, clostebol, entered his system unintentionally due to his physiotherapist's negligence. 

WADA acknowledged that Sinner did not intend to cheat, gained no performance advantage, and was unaware of the contamination, but emphasized that athletes are ultimately responsible for their entourage's actions. They deemed a three-month suspension an appropriate outcome given the specific circumstances.

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Sinner acknowledged his responsibility for his team's actions and the importance of WADA's rules, stating that he accepted the three-month sanction to resolve the nearly year-long process. 

This case follows other recent high-profile doping cases in tennis. Sinner was initially cleared by an independent panel after testing positive for clostebol in March 2024, as they accepted his contamination explanation. However, WADA's subsequent appeal led to the current agreement.

The suspension will prevent Sinner from competing in several significant tournaments, including Indian Wells, Miami Open, Monte Carlo Masters, and Madrid Open, resulting in a loss of ranking points. 

While he could lose his number one ranking, this would also depend on his rivals' performance in those tournaments. He can resume official training on April 13th and will be eligible to play in the Italian Open, which begins on May 7th. The ITIA has stated that WADA's outcome is consistent with their initial findings.