WADA, which had sought to ban the three-time Grand Slam champion from the sport for at least one year, had challenged a decision last year by the International Tennis Integrity Agency not to suspend Sinner for what the ITIA judged was accidental contamination by a banned anabolic steroid last March.

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

The timing means the 23-year-old Italian won’t miss any Grand Slam tournaments. The French Open, the season’s next major, starts May 25.

Last year, Novak Djokovic won the Laureus sportsman of the year award for 2023 and Spanish soccer star Aitana Bonmatí was picked as the best sportswoman.

Nominees for the upcoming awards will be announced in Madrid on Monday.