The Narratives of Doping – The Case of Jannik Sinner

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This article was released prior to Jannik Sinner’s settlement with WADA, which was made public on February 15th, 2025. Sinner received a three month ban from tennis which began on February 9th, 2025. Sinner is eligible to return to professional tennis after May 4th, 2025, before the Italian Open and Roland Garros.

Introduction

According to the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), Jannik Sinner reportedly tested positive for an anabolic agent in Indian Wells last March. That same tournament, Sinner fell to his biggest rival, Carlos Alcaraz. With Sinner at world number one and Alcaraz the only one to beat him in 30 matches, their race to legend status is underway. Sinner’s positive test reduces the likelihood that this rivalry will have its moment on the court. However, in the age of social media and narrative control, Sinner’s legacy may not be decided based on the outcome of his impending trial. This article explores the circumstances of Jannik Sinner’s doping case, the shifting narratives surrounding elite athletes, and how public perceptions can redefine a player’s legacy beyond the jurisdiction of official rulings.

Sports as Stories

Professor Morten Renslo Sandvik’s article titled Sport, stories, and morality: a Rortyan approach to doping ethics describes athletes as more than mere individuals. Instead, athletes’ public images are continuously reconstructed by the audience. This quote encapsulates the crux of his argument:

“In playing sport, we do not merely add content to the story we tell ourselves about ourselves; we play that story out as players, runners, swimmers or climbers. In any sport setting, thus, there are people involved in telling stories about themselves from the perspective of a practitioner… To watch, cover, or fund a sport event, is to take on the narrative of being a fan, a reporter, or a sponsor involved in the sport.”

Stories give people meaning. Just like any other form of entertainment, sports take on an element of storytelling. Sports evoke feelings of nostalgia tied to childhood memories and family legacies. Sports also elicit feelings tied to how we see the world – what we value and what we see as fair and just. The media, fellow sportsmen, sporting directors, and countless fan bases have their own version of events. Each constructs protagonists, villains, and legends from a mix of myth and reality.

Therese Johaug

As most elite sports have significant publicity, sports narratives evolve over time. Sandvik cites the case of Norwegian cross-country skier Therese Johaug. Johaug tested positive for clostebol, a metabolic steroid, in 2016. Johaug used Trofodermin, the over-the-counter product containing clostebol, to treat a sunburned lip. Johaug was found guilty of negligence by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in August of 2017 after the International Skiing Federation appealed her initial 13-month ban issued by the Norwegian Olympic and Paralympic Committee. Her ban was increased to 18-months. The following year, 25 athletes tested positive for clostebol. Many of these athletes were also found to have misused topical creams or sprays containing the banned substance.

At the time of her positive test, Therese Johaug was a national hero within cross-country skiing. Johaug was able to maintain this image, despite the doping case, by creating an intimate documentary showcasing her experience on TV2. This documentary elicited sympathy for Johaug. The media not only retained Johaug’s public image, but also highlighted her emotional distress, allowing her to bypass Norway’s strict anti-doping culture and preserve public sympathy. 

Jannik Sinner

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Let’s turn to Sinner’s situation. Tennis is a global sport. After winning the Davis Cup, three grand slams, and maintaining a win percentage of 92% in the span of twelve months, Sinner is his own version of a national hero. However, to many tennis fans, Jannik Sinner is a rival of the effervescent Carlos Alcaraz. Although Sinner appears down to earth under the right conditions, his individual anti-hero identity is unlikely to endure if he receives a two year ban from CAS. Nevertheless, his rivalry with Carlos Alcaraz will allow him to transcend the typical allowances of sports narratives. While Sinner’s case is more complex than Johaug’s, her case remains relevant. In the age of social media, athletes can construct their own narrative outcomes. Although the law remains impartial, public perception and legacy can change in a moment. Johaug’s case shows that it is possible for Sinner to maintain his hero status on the basis that he flatters his rivalry with Alcaraz as well as his own positive attributes through marketing.

Sinner’s Claim

In March of this year, Sinner tested positive twice for clostebol, the same anabolic steroid found in Therese Johaug. The ITIA charged Sinner with violating Article 2.1 and Article 2.2 of the Tennis Anti-Doping Program (TADP). These Articles say that “the presence of a prohibited substance or any of its metabolites or markers in a player’s sample,” and “use or attempted use by a player of a prohibited substance or a prohibited method.”

Typically, the ITIA requires players to face a provisional suspension while their case is being overseen. Each player has the right to an independent tribunal, where the ITIA will determine whether or not the player bears fault or negligence for their positive results. Nicholas Jarry, Simona Halep, and Beatrice Haddad Maia have each faced provisional suspensions of up to eighteen months without a guilty verdict. 

Sinner claims that his physiotherapist, Giacomo Nald, treated himself with a spray containing clostebol, before massaging Sinner. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has stated that the possibility of contamination through skin contact is very limited. However, WADA has indicated  that laboratory facilities have improved drug detection. Therefore, it is now possible for a highly transmittable metabolite such as clostebol to be detected as a contaminant through skin contact in urine samples.

Clostebol contamination has been a recurring issue in Italian sports. In 2024, a study published in Clinical Chemistry and Laboratory Medicine found that 38 Italian athletes tested positive for clostebol at low concentrations in the past four years. Italy is one of the few countries where clostebol is still legal and widely available.

WADA appealed Sinner’s initial ITIA clearance, leaving the case unresolved. According to Article 2.1.1 of the World Anti-Doping Code, it is “each player’s personal duty to ensure that no prohibited substance enters their body.” WADA still accepts the finding that Sinner did not intentionally take clostebol. However, WADA still believes the doping violation to be the fault of Sinner as he is responsible for the actions of his team, including Nald.

ITIA Solutions

The complaint of those that follow tennis is that there has been inconsistency in the way that positive tests have been handled by the ITIA. Players such as Jarry, Halep, and Haddad Maia have each faced provisional suspensions of up to eighteen months. Iga Świątek, the WTA number two, was forced to take a one-month suspension after testing positive for trimetazidine in 2024. The substance was proven to have contaminated her melatonin tablets with her bearing very limited fault or negligence. Sinner has faced no suspension, provisional or other, for a serious, less clear cut offense. Some observers have questioned whether ITIA decisions have been applied consistently across cases. The ITIA must ensure transparency in their decision-making process. Athletes should not face provisional suspensions longer than official rulings.

Sinner’s Narrative

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Losing Jannik Sinner as a contender would be devastating for fans, but his rivalry with Carlos Alcaraz and strategic self-branding could preserve his legacy even if he faces a two-year ban. At the time of writing, Sinner is well over 3,000 points clear of number two in the world Alexander Zverev in the ATP rankings. In terms of logistics, Sinner’s trial is not until April, leaving ample time for him to continue winning tournaments that may be revoked if he is found guilty. For now, Sinner maintains the unofficial label of an anti-hero, continuing to win despite the mental burden of his upcoming trial. Sinner has steered the public away from the uncertainty of his status, instead inviting them to enjoy the momentum of his victories for as long as time will allow.

Sinner also steers the public toward his rivalry with Alcaraz, keeping their names interlinked in conversation. In an interview for the ATP, Sinner himself states that “[Alcaraz] is the one who brings the firepower, the hot shots, he involves the crowd. He’s a bit different. I am more like the solid player, quite calm, so it’s like fire and ice… a nice combination.”

The prospect of another Federer-Nadal-Djokovic-esc spectacle is enough excitement to send the tennis world into a frenzy. This is the new tennis sporting narrative, the story fair weather fans latch onto, and the thrill that viewers chase. After sharing the slam tally last year, Sinner’s narrative is no longer just his own. In order to generate viewership, revenue, and sponsorships, tennis governing bodies understand that Sinner needs to be in the sport. Carlos Alcaraz is marketable, but his matches with Sinner could surpass all past rivalries in the digital age. If Sinner were to be banned, the sporting world would experience a nostalgia for what could have been. Sinner would remain a legend and the tragic antagonist of a rivalless Carlos Alcaraz.

Conclusion

As Sandvik describes, previously no-nonsense anti-doping cultures are becoming more susceptible to empathetic narratives with the rise of social media. Jannik Sinner created a YouTube channel documenting his experience winning the Australian Open for the second year in a row. After winning the tournament, Sinner states that “Success is also a way to say people to all of the people who help you” and “I won three Grand Slams… but it’s only three days.” Skeptics may view these comments as disingenuous. However, most respond positively to humble and reflective gestures. The benefit of social media is that athletes have the option to develop their own public perception.

The world is a better place when the images we create of others are grounded in empathy. This does not mean that justice should not be served and that people should not be tried and found guilty. It does mean that more individuals should understand the unique pressures of sports and its effect on human nature. Jannik Sinner should be treated with empathy, recognized for his talents, and respected for his personality regardless of his trial outcome.

Sources

Legal Documents for the Sinner Case

• ITIA vs. Sinner
• Jannik Sinner Appeal

References

Sandvik, M. R. (2019). Sport, stories, and morality: a Rortyan approach to doping ethics. Journal of the Philosophy of Sport, 46(3), 383–400. https://doi.org/10.1080/00948705.2019.1622127