The tennis world was hit with two huge controversial doping cases in 2024. First it was World No. 1 men’s player Jannik Sinner, whose victorious US Open title run was shrouded by controversy. It was revealed that he had tested positive twice for an anabolic agent in March, but then an independent tribunal accepted his defense that it was unintentional contamination. Then latest was Iga Swiatek, who recently served a one-month doping ban after testing positive for a prohibited substance, in an out-of-competition sample in August.

The ITIA accepted her defense, which was that her test result was due to contamination of a regulated non-prescription medicine melatonin, which was manufactured and sold in Poland.

But in Sinner’s case, the WADA appealed to the CAS, and the body will pass a new verdict on the Italian next year. Giving some insight into Sinner’s case, lawyer Angelo Cascella, former member of the CAS, predicted a doping ban of ‘one to two years’.

Speaking to Italian website Sportmediaset, he said, “Since analyses have been carried out and the existence of doping traces has been demonstrated, the athlete risks a sentence of one to two years. In these cases, there may be intent or fault or negligence. In the first case, the sentence can go up to four years of disqualification, in the second, as requested for Sinner, it goes from one to two years.”

He also asserted that it is indeed the athlete and his or her staff’s fault, even if its unintentional contamination resulted in a positive doping result. There is also a new rule coming up in 2027, which could lead to cancellation of cases like Sinner’s. But the Italian won’t be lucky as his verdict will be passed next year.

“The rule will be in force starting in 2027, which means that it does not affect the decision of this case which is prior. The case will therefore have to be decided on the existing rules. There is a risk of a conviction, but at the same time it is possible that the parties will hear from each other in these months and a settlement agreement can be found on something that is good for both and the hearing can be suspended since it will not arrive before spring 2025,” Cascella added.

The independent tribunal’s decision on Sinner had a mixed response from current players, with many of them supporting the Italian. But many players also felt that it was unfair as previously athletes had faced big bans for similar incidents.