World number one Jannik Sinner will
give evidence to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) on
April 16-17 in a doping case where the World Anti-Doping Agency
(WADA) is seeking a ban of up to two years for the reigning
Australian and US champion, the CAS said Friday.
WADA appealed to the CAS in September against the 23-year-old
South Tyrolean's acquittal for allegedly using a banned steroid,
Clostebol.
WADA said that an August ruling by an independent court convened
by the International Tennis Integrity
Agency (ITIA) that found the "absence of fault or negligence"
was"not correct under the applicable rules" after Sinner tested
positive twice to Clostebol, a banned substance, in March last
year during the Indian Wells tournament.
Sinner's defence said he had been inadvertently contaminated
with the banned substance by his physiotherapist, whom he later
sacked.
Sinner said he was "very surprised and disappointed"
by WADA's decision.
He stressed that he is convinced that he will be found innocent.
He recently said living with the WADA appeal over his head had
been tough.
In June Sinner became the first Italian to be a singles tennis
number one since computerised rankings were introduced in 1973.
He has not relinquished the position since.
Last year he became the first man to win seven titles in a
calendar year since Andy Murray won nine in 2016.
Serb legend Novak Djokovic said last month Sinner had benefitted
from favouritism in being cleared of
doping, but he had known him since he was a boy and was
convinced he would never knowingly have doped.
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