Italy tennis chief: Sinner case already won in court of public opinion

TURIN, Italy — A final verdict in the doping case involving top-ranked Jannik Sinner likely won't come until early next year.

For the president of the Italian tennis federation, though, the case has already been won — in the court of public opinion.

"Apart from a few imbeciles, people all around the world understand what happened," Angelo Binaghi said at the ATP Finals on Wednesday. "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."

Sinner is playing at home for the first time since it was revealed prior to the US Open that he had tested positive for an anabolic steroid in two separate drug tests in March.

A decision by an independent tribunal to clear Sinner of wrongdoing was appealed by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) in September and the Switzerland-based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) is expected to make a final ruling on the case in 2025.

Sinner's explanation was that the banned performance enhancer entered his system unintentionally through a massage from his physiotherapist, who had used a spray containing the steroid to treat his own cut finger.

WADA is seeking a ban of one to two years for Sinner.

"It is WADA's view that the finding of 'no fault or negligence' was not correct under the applicable rules," WADA said in September.

Sinner, though is "very positive "he'll be cleared of wrongdoing.

Sinner said last week, in response to a question from journalists, that he has not been notified yet by CAS of a hearing date.

"No, we don't know anything yet," Sinner said.

"Look, I've been in this position three times now already, so it's not that great a place to be, but it always came out very positively, so I'm very positive."

Still, a one- or two-year ban could have a major impact on Sinner's career, even though he's only 23.

"We're confident that, whenever the verdict is issued, he will be completely cleared," Binaghi said.

There are no doubts for Sinner's sponsor Lavazza.

Marco Lavazza, the coffee company's vice-chairman, indicated the company plans to stand by Sinner as one of his main sponsors.

"The (doping case) shocked us. Then, like everyone else, we realized that it was a mishap," Lavazza told Italian daily Il Giornale.

"But I don't have any doubts over who Jannik Sinner is."

It was Sinner's fitness trainer, Umberto Ferrara, who provided the spray containing the banned substance to physiotherapist Giacomo Naldi.

Sinner announced before the US Open that he had fired Ferrara and Naldi, but neither was sanctioned.

Sinner's fellow Italian player Matteo Berrettini plans to have Ferrara work with him in 2025.

"There was no premeditation on their part. Still, it was negligence," Binaghi said of Naldi and Ferrara, adding that since Ferrara is a qualified pharmacist, his role in the case was "very serious".

Agencies via Xinhua