Jannik Sinner plays in the semifinals of the US Open with a big “DOPING” warning after failing doping tests due to a steroid spray

Despite two failed doping tests this summer, Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner is on his way to the semifinals of the US Open.

Sinner will play England's Jack Draper on Friday night for the chance to play in the men's singles final. The 23-year-old star is aiming for his second Grand Slam title while the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) continues to criticise his eligibility for this year's tournament.

Sinner tested positive for a banned anabolic steroid twice in March. The anabolic steroid he was tested for is called Clostebol and is a derivative of natural testosterone.

The source of the clostebol was an over-the-counter spray for treating open wounds. However, the spray's packaging bears a large warning label reading “DOPING.”

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The Trofodermin spray also contains an underlined warning in Italian on the medication leaflet which reads: “For athletes: taking the medication without therapeutic necessity constitutes doping and may lead to positive doping tests.”

Clostebol is listed in the anabolic androgenic steroids section on page 5 of WADA. 24-page list of banned substancesItalian law requires that all medicines containing substances on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List must have the warning “DOPING” printed on them.

San Diego Padres star Fernando Tatis Jr. was suspended for 80 games by MLB after testing positive for the same drug in 2022.

Sinner was not suspended because it was determined that the clostebol entered his body during a massage by his physiotherapist Giacomo Naldi, the ITIA said on August 20 after an independent investigation. Sinner said his fitness coach Umberto Ferrara bought trofodermin in Italy and gave it to Naldi for a cut on Naldi's finger. Naldi then treated Sinner without wearing gloves.

Clostebol is listed as a controlled substance in America and can therefore only be sold with a doctor's prescription because the US government sees a potential for abuse in it.

Pending a possible WADA appeal, Sinner will get away with his physiotherapist's mistake – a decision that has already been criticised by some of the sport's top players.

The two tennis superstars Novak Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz have taken up the issue and criticized a lack of transparency.

US Open winner Andre Agassi believes that American tennis in men's singles is close to a Grand Slam breakthrough

Jannik Sinner of Italy plays a backhand during his match against Frances Tiafoe of the USA on the final day of the Cincinnati Open at the Lindner Family Tennis Center on August 19, 2024 in Mason, Ohio. (Dylan Buell/Getty Images)

“We see a lack of standardized and clear protocols. I can understand the feelings of many players who wonder if they are being treated equally,” Djokovic told reporters before the US Open.

Alcaraz told reporters: “I think there's something behind it that a lot of people don't know. I don't even know. Ultimately, it's something that's hard to talk about.”

Meanwhile, Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios, who won the Australian Open in 2022 but also lost to Sinner at the Miami Open that same year, took a more vehement stance against his former opponent's eligibility. Kyrgios said that Sinner only giving up prize money and points was “ridiculous” and that the Italian would not see the court for a long time.

“Whether it was accidental or planned. You get tested twice with a banned (steroid) substance… You should be gone for two years. Your performance has been enhanced. Massage cream… Yeah, nice,” Kyrgios wrote in a post on X on August 21.

However, some came to Sinner’s aid.

Eight-time Grand Slam champion Andre Agassi defended Sinner in a recent interview with Fox News Digital.

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Italian Jannik Sinner wipes sweat from his face between serves against Mackenzie McDonald of the USA during the first round of the US Open on August 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

“If you cheat on performance enhancement, you're not going to intentionally put a billionth of a gram of anything into your body. If that's your goal, you're going to benefit from the performance-enhancing drug,” Agassi said.

“It's not like if you miss three Tests or don't play three Tests you have to do something straight away – as we've seen with some players, is it? In any due process, it's always kept quiet unless a player voluntarily wants to talk about it. And his ability to play while it's being appealed is not necessarily a rule, it's a law.”

Sinner became the betting favorite for this year's title when Djokovic and Alcarez made early exits in the men's singles tournament. After defeating 2021 US Open champion Daniil Medvedev in the quarterfinals on Wednesday night, Sinner is the only man in the field yet to win a Grand Slam title.

Draper and American Taylor Fritz are taking part in the semifinals of a major for the first time. Her American compatriot Frances Tiafoe made it to the semifinals two years ago, but lost to eventual champion Alcaraz.

Sinner has reached the semifinals of each of the four Grand Slams and is particularly strong on hard courts, where he has a 33-2 record and four titles in 2024.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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