On Tuesday, April 1, 2025, the tennis world was shocked by a crushing ruling from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS): World No. 1 Jannik Sinner has been banned for two years for a doping violation. The suspension, which comes after a protracted legal battle with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), means that the Italian sensation will not be allowed to return to the court until after the 2027 Australian Open. The decision comes as a hammer blow to Sinner, his fans and the sport itself, and marks a dramatic end to his dominant period at the top of men’s tennis.

The case began in March 2024, when Sinner tested positive twice for clostebol, a banned anabolic steroid. He was initially cleared by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), which accepted his explanation that the drug accidentally entered his system via a massage spray from his physiotherapist. However, WADA appealed to the CAS, seeking a one- to two-year suspension. After a closed-door hearing, the CAS gave a harsher-than-expected ruling, handing Sinner the maximum two-year penalty in a decision that shocked many. The CAS ruled that while there was no evidence of intentional use, Sinner remains responsible for his team’s negligence, and that the presence of clostebol in his system was intolerable under the country’s strict anti-doping rules.

For Sinner, who won the Australian Open in 2025 and established himself as one of the greatest talents of his generation, the ruling is a disaster. His suspension means he will miss all Grand Slams, including Roland Garros, Wimbledon and the US Open, through 2026. Furthermore, he is “cancelled” from tennis history until his return in 2027, with his ranking points stripped and his recent titles cast under a shadow. The term “cancelled” reflects the fierce reaction on social media, where fans and critics greeted the news with disbelief and anger. Some called it an example of class justice, others a necessary step to ensure the integrity of the sport.

The implications extend beyond Sinner himself. His sponsors, such as Nike and Rolex, are in a quandary, while the Italian Tennis Federation struggles to cope with the loss of its biggest star. Meanwhile, the debate over the doping rules is growing: critics, including Sinner’s previous accuser Nick Kyrgios, see this as a victory for transparency, while others see the trial as unfairly harsh compared to previous cases, such as that of Iga Swiatek, who received only a month’s suspension. For Sinner, a long road of absence and rehabilitation now begins, while the tennis world wonders how this shocking turn of events will reshape the landscape of the sport. Until 2027, he will remain a specter: officially banned, but impossible to forget.