World No.1 Jannik Sinner has accepted a three-month ban in a settlement with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and stated on Saturday that the agreement brings an end to a case that had been "hanging over me" since his two positive doping tests nearly a year ago.

WADA, which sought to ban the three-time Grand Slam champion from the sport for at least a year, had challenged last year’s decision by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) not to suspend Sinner. The ITIA had ruled that the Italian’s positive test for a banned anabolic steroid in March was the result of accidental contamination.

Sinner’s explanation—that trace amounts of Clostebol in his sample came from a massage by a trainer who had used the substance after cutting his own finger—was accepted.

The timing of the suspension means the 23-year-old will not miss any Grand Slam tournaments, with the French Open, the season’s next major, scheduled to begin on 25 May.

"This case had been hanging over me for nearly a year, and the process still had a long way to go, with a final decision potentially not coming until the end of the year," said Sinner, who won the Australian Open in January, in a statement. "I have always accepted responsibility for my team and recognise that WADA’s strict regulations serve as an important safeguard for the sport I love. On that basis, I have agreed to resolve these proceedings with a three-month sanction."

WADA, based in Montreal, had appealed the ITIA's ruling to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne, Switzerland, but has now formally withdrawn the appeal.

"WADA accepts the athlete's explanation for the violation, as outlined in the initial decision. WADA acknowledges that Mr Sinner did not intend to cheat, that his exposure to Clostebol did not provide any performance-enhancing benefits, and that he was unaware of the contamination, which resulted from negligence on the part of his entourage," WADA stated on Saturday.

"However," the statement continued, "under the code and CAS precedent, an athlete bears responsibility for the negligence of their entourage. Given the unique circumstances of this case, a three-month suspension is considered an appropriate outcome. As previously indicated, WADA did not seek disqualification of any results, aside from those previously imposed by the tribunal of first instance."

WADA further stated that the International Tennis Federation (ITF) and ITIA—both co-respondents to WADA’s CAS appeal and neither of which had challenged the initial ruling—agreed to the case resolution.

The ATP Tour acknowledged WADA's confirmation that Sinner "had no intention of violating anti-doping rules and gained no competitive advantage."

"This case serves as an important reminder of players’ responsibility to carefully manage the products and treatments they and their entourages use," the governing body said in a statement on Saturday.

On Friday, Sinner posted a video on Instagram showing himself training in Doha ahead of the Qatar Open, which begins next week. He was also scheduled to compete in an exhibition event in Las Vegas next month.

His suspension runs from 9 February to 4 May, meaning he could return to action at his home tournament, the Italian Open in Rome, starting on 7 May.

President of the Italian Tennis and Padel Federation, Angelo Binaghi, described the case as "a shameful injustice," but stated that the ban would mark "the end of a nightmare" for Sinner.

Binaghi further commented that the settlement "demonstrates Jannik's innocence" and that "all of Italy" would welcome his return at the Italian Open.

The ITIA acknowledged the settlement and reiterated in a statement on Saturday that "we were satisfied that the player had established the source of the prohibited substance and that the breach was unintentional. Today's outcome supports this finding."

Sinner’s London-based lawyer, Jamie Singer, also expressed relief at the resolution.

"I am delighted that Jannik can finally put this harrowing experience behind him. WADA has confirmed the facts established by the Independent Tribunal. It is clear that Jannik had no intent, no knowledge, and gained no competitive advantage. Regrettably, errors made by members of his team led to this situation," said Singer.

The handling of Sinner’s case had raised concerns about inconsistencies in anti-doping decisions. His positive tests were not publicly disclosed until August, as he had successfully appealed against a provisional suspension, allowing him to compete and win the US Open in September. Novak Djokovic commented that he agreed there was "a lack of consistency" in the process.

In late November, five-time Grand Slam champion Iga Świątek accepted a one-month suspension after testing positive for the banned substance trimetazidine. Świątek, currently ranked world No.2, failed a drug test in August, but the ITIA accepted that her violation was unintentional.

In the ATP singles rankings, Sinner leads world No.2 Alexander Zverev by 3,695 points.

Due to the suspension, Sinner is set to lose 1,600 points: 1,000 from his Miami Open title last March, 400 from his Monte Carlo Masters semi-final run in April, and 200 from reaching the Madrid Open quarter-finals.

Should Zverev win multiple titles during Sinner’s absence, the German could overtake him as world No.1.