Nick Kyrgios slams officials as world No.1 Jannik Sinner cleared despite failing two drug tests

Nick Kyrgios has slammed officials after Australian Open champion Jannik Sinner failed two steroid tests but, in an extraordinary move, was cleared by tennis authorities.

Jannik Sinner has been cleared despite failing two tests for a steroid. Picture: Getty Images

Australian tennis player Nick Kyrgios has ridiculed the move to allow world No.1 Jannik Sinner to escape a drugs ban despite failing two tests for a steroid.

Sinner has avoided sanction after the International Tennis Integrity unit announced on Tuesday it found the Italian bore no fault or negligence for two positive steroid results taken on March 10 and 18 at the ATP Masters 1000 event at Indian Wells.

Unusually, Sinner was allowed to keep playing from the time of the positive tests six months ago, after two emergency hearings before an independent tribunal chair appointed by Sport Resolutions successfully lifted two provisional suspensions within days.

The news blackout about Sinner’s drugs results has only emerged after the International Tennis Integrity Unit referred the case to an independent tribunal which convened last Thursday.

This tribunal on Tuesday then publicly confirmed the earlier findings of Sinner having no fault or negligence, but docked him $US250,000 prize money and 400 ranking points from the Indian Wells tournament.

Sinner had successfully claimed his positive tests to the banned anabolic steroid clostebol was a result of contamination from his physiotherapist, who had treated a cut on his finger.

The independent tribunal also found Sinner had taken “an extremely cautious approach to anti doping” and had hired his coach Umberto Ferrara for his experience in anti doping matters and background in pharmacology.

But Kyrgios expressed scepticism, posting on X: “Accidental or planned. You get tested twice with a banned (steroid) substance … you should be gone for 2 years. Your performance was enhanced. Massage cream …. Yeah nice”.

Ridiculous - whether it was accidental or planned. You get tested twice with a banned (steroid) substance… you should be gone for 2 years. Your performance was enhanced. Massage cream…. Yeah nice 🙄 https://t.co/13qR0F9nH2

— Nicholas Kyrgios (@NickKyrgios) August 20, 2024

Sinner had told the integrity unit the physiotherapist had applied an over-the-counter spray Trofordermin containing clostebol to their own skin to treat a small wound between March 5 and 13. At that time the physiotherapist gave sports therapy and daily massages to Sinner resulting in “unknowing transdermal contamination”.

The independent tribunal said 50 per cent of clostebol cases involved detection in Italy and said there was now a recognised issue of clostebol cases involving Italians. But in other cases athletes have been banned for long periods for testing positive to the same drug.

In one case the Italian tennis player Stefano Battaglino was banned for four years in 2023 after testing positive to clostebol and he could not identify the source of the drug.

Other tennis players backed Kyrgios’ remarks. Denis Shapovalov posted: “Can’t imagine what every other player that got banned for contaminated substances is feeling right now,” before adding: “Different rules for different players.”

The French tennis player Lucas Pouille said in French, “maybe they should stop taking us for fools, no?”

Sinner said in a statement: ‘I will now put this very challenging and hugely unfortunate period behind me.

‘I will continue to do everything I can to ensure I continue to comply with the ITIA’s anti-doping program and I have a team around me that are meticulous in their own compliance.’