India, Feb. 17 -- Tennis enthusiasts were taken aback on Saturday as the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) reached a settlement with Jannik Sinner concerning their appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) related to his doping case. Sinner had tested positive for a prohibited substance last year, which was later determined to be the result of unintentional contamination, leading an independent tribunal to accept his defence. However, WADA subsequently appealed this ruling to CAS, and many anticipated that the verdict expected in April would impose a suspension of at least two years.

In an unexpected turn of events, both Sinner and WADA came to an agreement, resulting in the World No. 1 receiving a three-month suspension for doping, allowing him to return in time for the French Open.

Former player Marion Bartoli commented on RMC Sport, stating, "He was under a much greater threat of a severe penalty, as there were initial discussions about a two-year ban."

"I need to review the reports, and it is clear that experts have characterized this as unintentional doping."

"However, I find it difficult to comprehend this decision, given that there is established case law at the CAS level in Switzerland, which typically imposes longer suspensions even for negligence."

"The ATP president is Italian, and coincidentally, he will be in Rome soon. When considering all these factors, one might wonder if they are not somewhat trivializing the situation. Nevertheless, based on the evidence presented and the statements made, I am not in a position to challenge that. Thus, I find it challenging to form a definitive opinion," she added.

During his suspension, Sinner is projected to lose 2,100 ranking points but will retain his No. 1 status. His points total will decrease to 9,730 as a result of the ban. Despite his absence from competition, he will maintain a significant lead over No. 2 Alexander Zverev, who would need to accumulate 2,500 points during this period to close the gap.

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