Jannik Sinner: Martina Navratilova’s broadside at WADA
Jannik Sinner: Martina Navratilova’s broadside at WADA
There is debate in the tennis world over the appeal filed by WADA regarding Jannik Sinner's acquittal on the Clostebol case. A racquet legend like Martina Navratilova has decided to take a clear position, openly siding with the Italian champion and current world number one and judging the World Anti-Doping Agency's choice to be incomprehensible.
"This è madness. WADA is only confusing. With the Chinese swimmers they turned the’other way and now? What a bad system we have", said Navratilova.
"It è never occurred to me to ask my physical therapist what kind of cream or oil he used during massages or if it had entered my system. They cannot tell me that these are things that can be worth a’charge of negligence", he wrote in X.
Itia, which had acquitted Sinner, meanwhile responded to WADA: "The International Tennis Integrity Agency (Itia) recognizes the decision of the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) to appeal the ruling of 'No Fault or Negligence' in the case of Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner, issued by an independent tribunal appointed by Sport Resolutions on August 19, 2024. Under the World Anti-Doping Code, Wada has the ultimate right to appeal all such decisions"
"After gathering and evaluating a set of facts following a thorough investigative process, the case è was referred to a tribunal completely independent of Itia to determine the level of fault and then sanction based on the unique set of circumstances and lack of comparable precedents. The process è was conducted under the guidelines of the World Anti-Doping Code; however, Itia recognizes and respects WADA's right to appeal the decision of the independent tribunal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport".
