Italian Olympic champion Federica Pellegrini has claimed Jannik Sinner’s doping case “was handled differently” as she questioned the application of strict liability rules.

World No 1 Sinner, a three-time Grand Slam champion, has been embroiled in major controversy ever since it emerged that he had twice tested positive for the banned steroid clostebol in March 2024.

News of the positive tests emerged in August 2024, when the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) found Sinner to have been of “no fault or negligence” for the two tests.

He successfully argued to the ITIA that he had accidentally been contaminated by physio Giacomo Naldi, who had used a cream containing clostebol before massaging Sinner without the use of gloves.

Sinner was later handed a three-month doping suspension after settling with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), after the organisation had launched an appeal regarding the leniency of the Italian’s sanction.

The circumstances surrounding the 23-year-old’s case, and the handling of it, have attracted debate across the sporting world.

Sinner has received widespread support back in his home nation, but now Pellegrini, a gold medallist in swimming at the 2008 Olympic Games, has suggested he may have received beneficial treatment.

Speaking to La Repubblica, Pellegrini questioned why the application of ‘strict liability’ rules in Sinner’s case differed so significantly to other doping violations.

She said: “Jannik is well-liked and is therefore defended in every way, no matter what, and I think that’s fair.

“However, I believe his case was handled differently from 99% of other athletes. The complexity of an athlete’s life is constantly subject to doping controls, 12 months a year.

“It’s important to explain how it works to fully understand what’s behind the Sinner case. The discussion also touches on strict team liability, an often underestimated but central concept in anti-doping regulations.

“It’s not my fault if my physio drinks a beer and knocks someone over, but it becomes my responsibility if he uses cream on me and I test positive.

“This isn’t the case with Sinner, which is strange. It applies to all athletes. So why should this case be handled differently?”

Sinner is approaching the conclusion of his three-month suspension, which began in February 2025 after confirmation of a settlement between himself and WADA.

The reigning US Open and Australian Open champion’s ban ends on May 4, 2025, and he is set to return to action the following week at the Italian Open in Rome.

That will then be followed by an appearance at the Hamburg Open, before he searches for a second Grand Slam title of 2025 at the French Open.