The doping controversy surrounding tennis duo Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek has reportedly led to the World Anti Doping Agency making two changes for the future.
The sport has been plagued by the two sagas in 2024, with world No.1 Sinner testing positive for the banned anabolic steroid clostebol during the Indian Wells tournament in March.
The Italian, who won both the Australian and US Open titles this season, escaped any severe sanctions after successfully arguing to the International Tennis Integrity Agency that his physiotherapist had passed traces of the substance into his system through a massage, and therefore there had been no negligence on his part.
WADA have since appealed that verdict, and have taken their case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Swiatek meanwhile, served a one-month suspension in November following a positive test for another banned substance, trimetazidine.
The drug was found to be a contaminant in sleep medication that the Pole was taking, so she was given the lowest possible penalty due to there being “no significant fault or negligence.
Debate has continued to divide the sport over both outcomes, and now WADA have seemingly altered their anti-doping code. According to Ubitennis editor Giovanni Pelazzo, the alterations will come into force on January 1, 2027.
“Following the recent contamination cases involving Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek, WADA has decided to intervene to prevent similar cases from happening again,” explained Pelazzo on social media.
He claimed the term ‘contaminated product’ to a ‘source of contamination’. Pelazzo also revealed a change to the policy of what constitutes a failed test, implying the wording would change to ‘minimum concentration levels below which the presence of a prohibited substance without a threshold does not give rise to a positive result’.
The changes are unlikely to directly affect the current WADA appeal against Sinner, given they are not set to be introduced for another 24 months. However, his lawyers may now cite the changes in order to strengthen their case.
And the development could have a profound effect on further failed doping tests post-next season. Athletes are now likely to receive lesser sanctions in cases where the banned substance is only present in traces and considered unintentional.
Sinner has previously expressed his frustration at WADA contesting the decision to clear him, saying: “Obviously I’m very disappointed and also surprised of this appeal because we had three hearings. All three hearings came out very positively for me.”
The appeal is not expected to be heard before February. That means the 23-year-old will be able to defend his Australian Open title in Melbourne Park in January.
