Tennis champion Jannik Sinner has filed an appeal in the steroid case

ROME – The steroid case involving top tennis player Jannik Sinner has been challenged by the World Anti-Doping Agency, the Montreal-based organization announced Saturday.

WADA said it was seeking a ban of one to two years for the US Open champion, but indicated it did not plan to postpone a later ban – which would mean Sinner losing his second Grand Slam title could keep if he is found guilty.

The announcement came as Sinner was on court against Roman Safiullin at the China Open in Beijing.

“Of course I am very disappointed and, to be honest, surprised by this appeal because we had three hearings. “All three hearings were very positive for me,” said the 23-year-old Sinner after his victory over Safiullin.

“You know, I didn’t expect it. I knew a few days ago that they were going to appeal, that it became official today, so… it's a surprise,” he added. “We always talk about the same thing. Maybe they just want to make sure everything is in the right position. Yeah, I’m just surprised they appealed.”

Sinner tested positive for an anabolic steroid twice in March but was not banned in an independent tribunal decision announced on August 20 by the International Tennis Integrity Agency as the ITIA found he was not at fault.

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

WADA said it filed an appeal with the Swiss-based Court of Arbitration for Sport on Thursday.

“WADA believes that the finding of 'no fault or negligence' was incorrect under the applicable rules,” WADA said in a statement. “WADA is aiming for a ban of between one and two years. WADA does not seek annulment of any results except those already imposed by the trial court.”

WADA suspected the rules had not been followed correctly, although prosecutor Nicolas Zbinden of the Tennis Integrity Authority – who accepted Sinner's version of events – is a lawyer who regularly works on high-profile cases for the global watchdog, including the successful appeal against Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva.

An appeal decision to CAS could be issued quickly – even within a few months – if the parties agree to work together. At least that's how it worked in another high-profile doping case in tennis involving Maria Sharapova.

Still, the case is unlikely to be resolved until Sinner begins defending his Australian Open title in January.

Sharapova tested positive for the newly banned heart drug meldonium at the Australian Open in January 2016. In June of the same year she was banned for two years by the International Tennis Federation.

The Russian star appealed to CAS, had an appeal hearing in front of three judges in New York in September and received the ruling four weeks later that reduced her ban to 15 months.

Sharapova's entire process at CAS lasted just four months – much shorter than most doping cases, which typically last about a year. The schedule may be stalled due to the complexities of selecting a jury, setting a hearing date, and exchanging documents and expert evidence between the parties.

During the Indian Wells hardcourt event in March, Sinner tested positive for low levels of a metabolite of Clostebol, a banned anabolic steroid that can be used for ophthalmic and dermatological purposes. It's the same drug for which San Diego Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. was suspended by the MLB in 2022.

Eight days later, Sinner tested positive again in an out-of-competition sample.

As a result of these test results, he was twice provisionally suspended by the Tennis Integrity Authority, but twice successfully appealed to an independent judge and was allowed to continue competing on the tour.

Sinner said his test results were because his fitness trainer in Italy purchased an over-the-counter spray called Trofodermin that contained Clostebol and gave it to Sinner's physical therapist to treat a cut on the physical therapist's finger. The physiotherapist then treated Sinner without gloves.

The ITIA said it accepted Sinner's explanation after ten interviews with the player and those around him, and the independent panel agreed at a hearing on August 15.

The tennis integrity panel's decision ordered Sinner to forfeit the $325,000 in prize money and the 400 ranking points he earned at the tournament in Indian Wells.

Sinner later announced that he had fired his two coaches.