Jannik Sinner’s failed drug tests linked to warning on spray used at US Open

In Italy, over-the-counter spray that caused tennis player Jannik Sinner to fail two drug tests in March contains the banned anabolic steroid Clostebol. Sinner, ranked No. 1, was cleared last month and will be playing in the U.S. Open semifinals against Jack Draper on Friday. Trofodermin, the spray in question, is available without a prescription in Italy. It was purchased for 14.50 euros ($16) by an Associated Press reporter at a Rome pharmacy this week.

The spray, intended for treating cuts and scrapes, includes a warning in Italian inside the box stating that its use without therapeutic needs amounts to doping. Italian lawyer Giovanni Fontana, with experience in doping cases, has stated that many positive tests for Clostebol were linked to Trofodermin usage. Sinner’s positive tests were found to be a result of unintentional transfer of Clostebol during a massage by his physiotherapist.

Sinner mentioned that the Clostebol entered his system unknowingly through the spray used by his physiotherapist for a cut. Despite the incident, Sinner was not suspended, and he parted ways with the individuals involved in acquiring the spray. Italian law mandates that products containing banned substances carry a “DOPING” warning, although Fontana noted that the warning is only on the box, not the product itself.

Fontana suggested that Sinner could file a civil case seeking damages against those responsible for the inadvertent doping incident. The World Anti-Doping Association and Italy’s anti-doping agency could potentially appeal the decision in Sinner’s case. Meanwhile, in the U.S., Clostebol is classified as a controlled substance and requires a doctor’s prescription for purchase.

The International Tennis Integrity Agency found that Sinner had a minute amount of Clostebol in his system, which he emphasized by using eight fingers to indicate the number of zeroes before the “1” in the amount.