World No. 1 Jannik Sinner defeated Novak Djokovic Sunday to win the Rolex Shanghai Masters. It was Sinner’s fourth Masters 1000 title and first in Shanghai; it was his seventh title of 2024.

This came just days after the announcement that the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) would appeal an August decision not to impose sanctions or a suspension from an independent tribunal convened by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA). WADA’s appeal will be heard by the Court of Arbitration for Sport; once they assemble a panel of three judges, a timeframe can be established, and their determination will likely be peremptory.

Sinner was found to have clostebol — an anabolic steroid which is available in over-the-counter products in Italy but has been on the banned substance list for many years — in his system in two separate tests in March of this year. The explanation given was that his physiotherapist had been using a healing spray for a cut on his own finger, then he may or may not have washed his hands, and afterwards had given massages to Sinner — without gloves on — which evidently allowed the substance to enter the tennis player’s body through lesions on his skin.

The actual truth of the situation is unlikely to ever be known, irrespective of findings during arbitration or elsewhere. What is known is that every entity in the circumstance has an agenda.

WADA has a desire to uphold its image as the galactic police of PED usage. The ITIA was established by the ATP, ITF, and WTA (the organizations tennis players belong to) which means their interest is tied to the interests of the business of tennis growing and generating revenue. Sinner’s aim is to make money in tennis as well, so obviously his goal is to avoid a suspension and the marred reputation that would accompany it, further tarnishing his public standing.

In matters where the reality of what has happened is obscured by the thick smoke of conflicting ambitions and blurred priorities, frequently the truth can be ascertained by examining the psychology of human nature.

So what makes the most sense based on the facts we do have? Let’s dive into that right now in Part 2.

—@PoisonPill4