The Italian tennis star Jannik Sinner is trying not to let the threat of suspension affect him in his daily life. He says ahead of this year's first Grand Slam tournament, Australian Open, that he has no idea when a verdict may come from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (Cas).
I know as little as you, we are in a situation where we don't know much, he says.
I would be lying if I said I wasn't thinking about it. But it's something I've been carrying with me for a long time. It is what it is. I'm here to prepare for a Grand Slam. We'll see how it goes.
"I haven't done anything wrong"
The 23-year-old tested positive for the banned steroid clostebol on two occasions last year. He was acquitted in August, but the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) appealed to Cas.
I haven't done anything wrong, that's why I'm still here, that's why I'm still playing. I know exactly what happened and that's why I can put it aside, says Sinner.
According to Sinner, he accidentally ingested the banned substance during a massage, as the physiotherapist had treated an injury with a medium containing the banned substance.
Last week, tennis legend Novak Djokovic called for greater transparency around doping suspensions in tennis and claimed that stars seemed to be treated differently than others.
Correct treatment
Tennis organization ATP's chairman Andrea Gaudenzi believes that there is a lot of misinformation and that Sinner's case has received correct treatment.
I am 100 percent sure that no one has been treated unfairly. The case has been handled entirely according to the rulebook by ITIA (tennis's anti-doping organization), says Gaudenzi and asks for patience so that the process can take its course.
Sinner begins Australian Open in Melbourne against Chilean Nicolas Jarry.
