Rafael Nadal tells CNN exclusively that he ‘100%’ believes Jannik Sinner is innocent amid return from doping suspension

Spanish tennis legend Rafael Nadal exclusively told CNN Sports he completely trusts that world No. 1 Jannik Sinner is innocent, as the Italian prepares to return from a doping suspension.

Spanish tennis legend Rafael Nadal exclusively told CNN Sports he completely trusts that world No. 1 Jannik Sinner is innocent, as the Italian prepares to return from a doping suspension. Sinner is approaching the end of a three-month ban having twice tested positive for banned substance Clostebol, an anabolic steroid, in March last year. The three-time grand slam champion previously escaped a ban when the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) ruled that he wasn’t at fault for the positive tests, accepting that the contamination was caused by a physio applying an over-the-counter spray. However, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) subsequently lodged an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), leading to Sinner accepting a suspension from February 9 to May 4. In a February statement, Sinner said that he has “always accepted that I am responsible for my team” but has always denied knowingly taking a banned substance. “I don’t have a clear opinion, first of all, because I don’t have the whole information,” Nadal told CNN after being honored with the Sporting Icon Award at this year’s Laureus World Sports Awards.