By Richard Pagliaro | @TennisNow | Thursday, February 27, 2025
Photo credit: Matthew Calvis
Jannik Sinner has been canceled by the Laureus World Sports Awards.
World No. 1 Sinner’s nomination for World Sportsman of the Year has been removed, the Laureus Academy announced today.
Pegula: Swiatek Case Evokes Faith and Frustration
The Laureus Academy said its decision to rescind Sinner’s nomination came after the reigning Australian Open and US Open champion accepted a three-month suspension to settle WADA’s appeal of his doping case.
Sinner twice failed drug tests last March, but successfully appealed his provisional suspension citing inadvertent contamination.
“Following discussions by the Laureus Academy, it has been decided that Jannik Sinner’s nomination for this year’s Laureus World Sportsman of the Year Award is to be withdrawn,” said Laureus Awards chairman, Sean Fitzpatrick. “We have followed this case, the decisions of the relevant global bodies and – whilst we note the extenuating circumstances involved – feel that the three-month ban renders the nomination ineligible.
“Jannik and his team have been informed.”
Read the complete Laureus World Sports Awards statement here.
World No. 1 Sinner accepted a three-month suspension that will ban him from tennis from February 9-May 4th to settle the case, the World Anti-Doping Agency announced two weeks ago.
MORE: Former French Federation VP To Stand Trial on Rape Charge
Under the terms of the agreement, Sinner will serve his suspension from February 9th to 11:59 pm on May 4th, 2025.
“As per the Code Article 10.14.2, Mr. Sinner may return to official training activity from April 13th,” WADA announced.
In a statement, Sinner said he accepts the suspension
“This case had been hanging over me now for nearly a year and the process still had a long time to run with a decision maybe only at the end of the year,” Sinner said in a statement. “I have always accepted that I am responsible for my team and realize WADA’s strict rules are an important protection for the sport I love.
“On that basis I have accepted WADA’s offer to resolve these proceedings on the basis of a three-month sanction.”
Last March, Sinner twice tested positive for the banned steroid clostebol in “low levels” the International Tennis Integrity Agency announced in August days before the start of the US Open.
Two-time Australian Open champion Sinner was not suspended and permitted to play because an independent tribunal ruled he was at “no fault” for the steroid contamination in his system.
