World No. 1 Jannik Sinner has been scratched from consideration for the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award after serving a three-month doping ban, the Laureus Academy said Thursday.
Sinner, 23, was found to have the prohibited anabolic substance clostebol in his system in March 2024, but he claimed it had entered his system because of massages and at sports therapy from someone on his support team. The suspension, which he accepted earlier this month, extends until May 4.
Laureus Academy chairman Sean Fitzpatrick said in a statement: “We take note of the extenuating circumstances, but the three-month ban makes the nomination null and void.”
Sinner, who won his first Australian Open title last month, failed two drug tests in March but continued to compete while appealing. His favorable tests were disclosed just before the US Open, prompting backlash from players and fans.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) originally pursued a different and longer ban, but ultimately settled for Sinner accepting a three-month ban. WADA then dropped its appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Sinner will be back ahead of the French Open and becomes the second leading player to accept a doping ban in the past few months, following on from women’s world No. 2 Iga Swiatek.
