Jannik Sinner has been banned for three months with his suspension effective immediately.

Jannik Sinner has accepted a three-month tennis ban (Image: Getty)

Jannik Sinner has been banned for three months after reaching an agreement with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). The suspension is effective immediately and will end on May 4 – a fortnight before the next Grand Slam at the French Open.

WADA appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport after an independent panel cleared the world No. 1 as part of an International Tennis Integrity Agency probe following two positive doping tests.

Extremely low levels of clostebol – a banned substance – were found in Sinner’s system last year.

The 23-year-old has always claimed that he was contaminated inadvertently, which WADA accept. However, the agency argued that an athlete bears responsibility for the negligence of their team.

Sinner’s case centred around the fact that he had been contaminated when his now-former physiotherapist used the substance on his own hand before subsequently applying treatment to the tennis star. Clostebol is a steroid that can be used to build muscle mass.

“WADA accepts the athlete’s explanation for the cause of the violation as outlined in the first instance decision,” a statement issued by WADA said.

“WADA accepts that Mr. Sinner did not intend to cheat, and that his exposure to clostebol did not provide any performance-enhancing benefit and took place without his knowledge as the result of negligence of members of his entourage.

“However, under the Code and by virtue of CAS precedent, an athlete bears responsibility for the entourage’s negligence. Based on the unique set of facts of this case, a three-month suspension is deemed to be an appropriate outcome.”

In a statement released by his lawyers, Sinner said: “This case had been hanging over me for nearly a year and the process still had a long time to run with a decision maybe only at the end of the year.

Jannik Sinner won the Australian Open in January but will now be banned for three months (Image: Getty)

“I have always accepted that I am responsible for my team and realise WADA’s strict rules are an important protection for the sport I love. On that basis I have accepted Wada’s offer to resolve these proceedings on the basis of a three-month sanction.”

Sinner first tested positive during last year’s Indian Wells. He subsequently tested positive eight days later but the 23-year-old avoided an automatic provisional suspension after successfully challenging the ruling.

WADA say that Sinner can begin “official training activity” from April 13. His next available tournament will be the Italian Open, which begins on May 7. He will miss much of the build-up to the French Open.

Sinner enjoyed a positive start to the year by winning his third Grand Slam title at the Australian Open.