Sinner’s three-month doping ban sparks controversy over leniency

Italian tennis star Jannik Sinner has been handed a three-month suspension in a doping case, reigniting debate over the fairness of anti-doping sanctions. Critics argue that his punishment appears relatively lenient compared to other athletes who tested positive for the same banned substance.

“The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) imposed a six-year suspension on Spanish figure skater Laura Barquero after she tested positive for Clostebol, the same anabolic substance that led to Sinner’s three-month ban,” the Associated Press reported. “Spanish media has been calling attention to the lengthy ban handed to Barquero.”

Barquero, who tested positive for the prohibited substance during the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, will be ineligible to compete until February 2028. In contrast, Sinner’s ban is set to end on May 4, allowing him to return in time for the French Open, the second Grand Slam of the season, which begins on May 25.

WADA defended the discrepancy, stating that “the fundamental difference between the two cases is that Ms. Barquero’s version of how the substance entered her system was unconvincing in light of the evidence. If Ms. Barquero disagreed with the proposed sanction, she was not obliged to sign the case resolution agreement and was free to take the case forward for hearing at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).” On the other hand, Sinner explained that the banned substance entered his system through inadvertent contamination. According to his defense, a member of his support team had been using an over-the-counter spray containing Clostebol to treat a minor wound, leading to unintentional exposure.

Barquero, however, maintains that the Clostebol detected in her system resulted from using a common skin cream. “It’s a disproportionate sanction that has effectively ended my career,” she said. “This is a clear example of systemic failure.”


김정훈기자 hun@donga.com