MADRID — On Monday, the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) clarified the reasoning behind the significantly shorter doping suspension given to top-ranked tennis sensation Jannik Sinner, compared to the extensive six-year ban imposed on Spanish figure skater Laura Barquero for a similar violation.
In recent days, Spanish media has scrutinized the lengthy punishment meted out to Barquero, who tested positive for the anabolic steroid Clostebol. In stark contrast, Sinner faced only a three-month suspension following a settlement reached with WADA. This decision has drawn critical remarks from many of Sinner’s peers in the tennis community over the weekend.
WADA clarified that despite both cases involving the same banned substance, the circumstances surrounding Barquero’s situation were “very different” from those of Sinner.
“The key distinction between the two cases lies in the fact that Ms. Barquero’s account of how the substance entered her system was deemed unconvincing based on the available evidence,” WADA stated in an email to The Associated Press. “In contrast, evidence in Sinner’s case corroborated the athlete’s explanation as presented in the initial decision.”
Barquero’s first positive test for Clostebol occurred during the 2022 Winter Olympics, followed by another in January 2023 during an out-of-competition assessment conducted by the International Skating Union. This led WADA to reach a “case resolution agreement,” resulting in her six-year suspension—a decision accepted by WADA, the ISU, and Barquero herself.
“If Ms. Barquero disagreed with the proposed punishment, she was not compelled to accept the case resolution agreement and could have pursued her case at CAS,” WADA elaborated.
Initially, WADA sought a ban of at least one year for Sinner, contesting a previous decision by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), which had ruled that Sinner’s positive test resulted from accidental contamination with the banned substance last March.
Ultimately, WADA rescinded its appeal, acknowledging the evidence supported Sinner’s account and confirming he had no intention to cheat.
Sinner claimed that the trace amounts of Clostebol found in his sample were due to a massage administered by a trainer who had used the substance after an injury.
In response to the headlines, Barquero shared several posts on Instagram highlighting the stark differences in penalties. She later posted a heartfelt video discussing the profound impact her lengthy suspension has had on her life.
“It’s an unjust sanction that effectively ended my career,” she expressed. “This situation exemplifies the flaws within the system. I don’t entirely understand what transpired, but I must confront the reality of the regulations, which at times seem incredibly imbalanced.”
The 23-year-old Barquero explained that she accepted the six-year ban under what she considered “unfair rules” in order to move forward with her life.
She cited that her positive results stemmed from contamination from a cream typically used for treating skin wounds, which is readily available in Italy without a prescription and is not meant for enhancing athletic performance.
“I unfortunately contaminated myself with a cream a fellow athlete had purchased that was also used by people in my circle,” she recounted. “I never imagined that simply touching someone who had used that cream, or an object in contact with it, could lead to a positive test.”
