World No.1 Jannik Sinner is ineligible to receive the Laureus Sportsman of the Year award after his nomination was withdrawn due to two positive doping tests.
The tennis world was left in shock when a settlement agreement ensured Sinner would only miss three months of the season without missing any Grand Slams.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) originally appealed the International Tennis Integrity Agency's (ITIA) decision not to hand down a ban, arguing their case for a suspension in the region of one to two years.
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Chairman of the Laureus World Sports Academy, Sean Fitzpatrick, explained why the Italian will be overlooked for the prestigious honour.
"Following discussions by the Laureus Academy, it has been decided that Jannik Sinner’s nomination for this year’s Laureus World Sportsman of the Year award is to be withdrawn," Fitzpatrick said.
"We have followed this case, the decisions of the relevant global bodies and — whilst we note the extenuating circumstances involved — feel that the three-month ban renders the nomination ineligible. Jannik and his team have been informed."
The sportsman award was last won by Serbian star Novak Djokovic for his stellar 2023 season.
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