TURIN, Italy — There “could have been better communication” to explain the rules involved in Jannik Sinner’s doping case, ATP Tour president Andrea Gaudenzi admitted Thursday.

However, Gaudenzi said at the ATP Finals that anyone suggesting a “double standard” was applied because of top-ranked Sinner’s status is “unfair because the rules are the same.”

Sinner is playing at home this week for the first time since it was announced before his US Open title that he had tested positive for an anabolic steroid in two separate drug tests in March.

The case was only made public in August.

“I found out the day before we all found out,” Gaudenzi said in his first public comments on the case. He spoke during a roundtable with international journalists.

“And to be honest, I’m happy about it. I really thank the ITA (International Testing Agency) and our representatives there for intentionally keeping me and our entire team in the dark, because that’s the way it should be.

“It should be completely independent and this has been agreed by the (parties). It was a shock, but visibly comforted by the evidence afterwards.

The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) appealed an independent tribunal’s decision to clear Sinner in September and the Switzerland-based Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) is expected to issue a final decision on the case early of next year. year.

Sinner’s explanation was that the banned performance enhancer had entered his system unintentionally through a massage from his physiotherapist, who had used a spray containing the steroid to treat his own severed finger.

WADA is seeking a suspension of one to two years for Sinner.

“We are completely external and it is (an) independent process,” Gaudenzi said. “I generally think the process was fair. It was really done according to the rules and regulations. Perhaps there could have been better communication to explain these rules, and this is something I urge all parties involved to work on better next time.

Future of ATP Finals to be revealed

Gaudenzi said he plans to announce the future host of the ATP Finals on Sunday. The contract with Turin expires next year and there is an option to move the event to nearby Milan to a larger arena under construction for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics.