Australian tennis player-turned-commentator Rennae Stubbs has made the shock declaration she thinks Jannik Sinner is “guaranteed” to cop a ban when he fronts the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in April. Sinner won his second Australian Open and third grand slam title last week, but his immediate future in the sport is under a cloud.

The World No.1 will face a CAS hearing and could be facing a maximum two-year ban after the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) appealed a decision by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) to clear him. Sinner twice tested positive to banned steroid Clostebol last March, but the ITIA allowed him to keep playing after he claimed he was inadvertently contaminated by his physio.

The physio applied a spray containing the steroid to his own finger and then massaged Sinner without gloves on. The steroid then entered Sinner’s system via a skin condition that meant he had an open sore on his back.

WADA has accepted that Sinner wasn’t at fault, but still wants a ban of between 1-2 years due to negligence on his behalf. Many believe professional athletes should be held responsible for everyone they employ, including ensuring everyone knows the rules about what they can and can’t have in their possession.

Rennae Stubbs ‘guarantees’ Jannik Sinner will be banned

Speaking after the Australian Open final, Sinner declared he has a clear mind and knows he’s not guilty of anything. But Stubbs believes he’s still likely to be hit with a suspension.

Speaking on the ‘Rennae Stubbs Tennis Podcast’ this week, the Aussie said she doesn’t think Sinner should be banned, but believes it’s an inevitability. “This WADA situation is such a joke, I mean it’s such a joke,” she said.

“How can the ITIA say no fault for you, and then WADA decides months later? You know what, that’s not quite satisfactory for us, we want him to pay for his team doing something stupid, but we are going to wait until April, are you kidding me?

“He has played two grand slams, and won them. You think this is a good look WADA? You really think this is a good look? I guarantee you – look out – I think they are going to ban him. It’s going to be a terrible look for tennis.”

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What would happen to titles Jannik Sinner has won?

As Stubbs mentioned, Sinner has won two majors since WADA announced it would be appealing – the US Open in September and the Australian Open in January. He also helped Italy win the Davis Cup after beating Alex de Minaur and Australia in the semi-finals, while also claiming the season-ending ATP Finals trophy.

Questions have arisen about what might happen to the titles Sinner has won if he gets banned, with many suggesting they should be stripped. But WADA previously stated they only believe he should be banned, not stripped of any trophies won.

“I keep playing like this because I have a clear mind on what happened,” Sinner said after the Australian Open final. “If I knew I was guilty I would not play like this, and that’s it. I still believe it’s going to be a positive outcome (at the CAS hearing). At the moment I’m not thinking about this. Of course there are moments on certain days when you wish you didn’t have this problem.”