Jannik Sinner cleared of any wrongdoing after twice testing positive for banned substance in March

Top-ranked player Jannik Sinner has been found to be innocent after testing positive for a prohibited substance two times in March.

The Italian player was found to have traces of a clostebol metabolite in their system, which is a steroid known for its muscle-building effects, during the Indian Wells tournament.

Another test done eight days after also showed low levels of the same metabolite.

A temporary ban was automatically put in place, but Sinner was able to continue playing after successfully disputing it.

The ITIA discovered that Sinner had unknowingly been exposed to the substance by his physiotherapist, Giacomo Naldi.

Naldi used a spray that he bought in Italy on his cut hand and then used it on Sinner as well.

The ITIA understood the reasoning and determined that the violation was unintentional.

The player was found not guilty of any wrongdoing by a third-party panel last week, but he will still forfeit the ranking points and prize money he earned from reaching the semi-finals at Indian Wells.

"I am ready to move on from this difficult and unfortunate time," Sinner stated.

I will keep working hard to make sure I follow all the rules of the ITIA's anti-doping program.

I have a group of people who are very careful and detailed when it comes to following rules and regulations.

Clostebol, commonly used in medications to reduce swelling and skin irritation, is included on the list of banned substances by the World Anti-Doping Agency.

Italian player Sinner, who won the Australian Open, will be the number one seed at the upcoming US Open starting on Monday.

The sinner was found to not be accountable for the positive tests, as there was no evidence of fault or carelessness.

The ITIA stated that the levels detected in Sinner's sample were "minimal". His legal team argued that it equated to "less than one billionth of a gram".

The official ruling, released by the ITIA, reveals that Naldi accidentally sliced his left finger on a scalpel inside his medical bag on March 3rd.

Naldi put a bandage on the wound and removed it a couple of days later. Umberto Ferrara, the trainer for Sinner, suggested that the physiotherapist use a medical spray that Ferrara had purchased at an Italian pharmacy back in February on the wound.

The physical therapist admitted that he didn't look at what was in the spray he used each morning between March 5th and March 13th. This happened during the same time as the Indian Wells event which went from March 6th to March 17th.

During that time frame, Naldi provided Sinner with massages and bandaged his feet. Naldi did not use gloves when performing these treatments.

Sinner mentioned that he has a skin issue on his feet and back that causes itching and can result in small cuts and sores on those areas.

In the blog, it was mentioned that on the morning of 10 March, Naldi took care of Sinner's feet and ankle. He mentioned spraying them twice that morning and admitted to not remembering if he washed his hands between spraying his finger and treating Sinner's feet.

The sinner and his team fully collaborated with the investigation.

The International Tennis Integrity Agency acknowledged that Sinner was unaware of the spray or its banned ingredient, and was also unaware that Naldi had applied it to his injured finger.

Three unbiased specialists also agreed that Sinner's explanation was believable, with one declaring that the dose given "would not have had any significant doping or performance-enhancing impact on the player".

The ITIA mentioned that the infringement was not deliberate before passing the matter on to a separate panel to figure out "if the player was at fault and what consequences should be given, if any".

The separate court later made a decision that there was no wrongdoing or carelessness, so the 23-year-old would not face suspension.

However, he will forfeit his 400 ranking points and $325,000 in prize money earned from the Indian Wells tournament.

The decision can also be challenged by Wada through an appeal process.

According to the regulations of the World Anti-Doping Code, if a player is found to have used a substance that is not specified, they will automatically be suspended temporarily.

Players can request to have their suspension lifted by submitting an application to an impartial tribunal chair.

Twice, Sinner was able to overturn the suspension after appealing and explained how the substance got into his body.

The ITIA then sought advice from scientific specialists, who found Sinner's explanation to be believable. Therefore, they did not object to his appeal challenging his temporary suspension.

Karen Moorhouse, the head of the ITIA, stated that the organization considers any positive test to be very important and will always follow the strict procedures outlined by Wada.

"The ITIA conducted a detailed inquiry into the situation that resulted in the positive tests, and Mr Sinner and his team fully collaborated with the investigation," she explained.

After looking into the matter, the ITIA agreed with the player's explanation of where the clostebol came from and found that it was not on purpose. The tribunal also acknowledged this.

We are grateful to the independent tribunal for making a quick and clear decision regarding the player's level of responsibility.

The attorney representing the accused athlete, Jamie Singer, stated that in order for anti-doping measures to be successful, they must be stringent. However, this strictness can sometimes result in innocent athletes being mistakenly implicated.

It is clear that Jannik is innocent in this situation. The ITIA did not dispute that important fact.

Nevertheless, according to the principles of strict liability, Jannik is accountable for any substances found in his system, even if he had no knowledge of their presence, as was the situation in this unique instance.

The ATP Tour, which is in charge of men's tennis, emphasized the importance of integrity in our sport.

"This situation has been difficult for Jannik and his team, and highlights the importance of players and their support teams being extremely cautious when using products or treatments," a statement further explained.