Jannik Sinner will arrive in New York on Monday as the men's top seed and one of the leading contenders to win his second Grand Slam title at the US Open. He also does so at the centre of a doping storm that has split the opinion of the tennis world and is now dominating the build-up to the season's fourth and final major tournament.
It was announced on Tuesday that world No 1 Sinner tested positive during Indian Wells in March for low levels of the banned substance clostebol, a steroid that can be used to aid in building muscle mass. A second test was administered eight days later that also tested positive for the same substance.
The 23-year-old Italian was handed an immediate provisional suspension but was allowed to continue playing having successfully challenged the decision. Sinner maintained that he had been contaminated by his physiotherapist Giacomo Naldi, who had applied an over-the-counter spray, which contained clostebol, to a cut on his own hand before carrying out treatments on Sinner.
The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) accepted Sinner's explanation that he had been inadvertently contaminated, with an independent tribunal clearing the Australian Open champion of fault or negligence. A statement from the ITIA revealed less than a billionth of a gram of clostebol was detected in the tests.
Sinner did not escape completely punishment-free as the Italian was stripped of the 400 ranking points he won at Indian Wells and the $325,000 prize money.
“I will now put this challenging and deeply unfortunate period behind me," Sinner said in a statement. "I will continue to do everything I can to ensure I comply with the ITIA’s anti-doping programme and I have a team around me that are meticulous in their own compliance.”
Sinner may be happy to move on, but some of his peers are not. Former Wimbledon finalist Nick Kyrgios suggested he is not buying the explanation and was left bemused at the lack of a lengthy suspension.
“Ridiculous - whether it was accidental or planned. You get tested twice with a banned (steroid) substance ... you should be gone for 2 years,” Kyrgios wrote on X. “Your performance was enhanced. Massage cream ... Yeah nice.”
Former world No 10 Denis Shapovalov directed his ire at the authorities for a lack of consistency. Perhaps the most famous doping case in tennis history involved Maria Sharapova, one of the sport's biggest stars who in 2016 tested positive for meldonium, a substance that had been recently added to the banned list. On appeal, she was found not to have intentionally doped and was cleared of fault but was still banned for 15 months.
“Can’t imagine what every other player that got banned for contaminated substances is feeling right now,” Shapovalov wrote on X. “Different rules for different players.”
Meanwhile, British player Liam Broady criticised the lack of due process, which allowed Sinner to continue playing for the past five months while the investigation was underway when typically players serve provisional suspensions.
“Whether Sinner was doping or not. This is not right," Broady wrote on X. "Plenty of players go through the same thing and have to wait months or years for their innocence to be declared. Not a good look.”
Sinner did find an ally in John Millman, with the Australian posting on social media: “Before jumping to conclusions, Jannik Sinner had less than a billionth of a gram in his system. I believe him 100 per cent ... maybe we should change threshold [to] cater for contamination."
It is Broady's point that is most worth addressing. Whether Sinner intentionally doped or not – and, without knowing all the facts, the miniscule amount of detected clostebol suggests he didn't – the Italian has been free to compete, collect ranking points, and earn money when many others have served bans in similar situations.
Between the failed tests at Indian Wells in March and the conclusion of the investigation this week, Sinner has played eight ATP tournaments, participated in the Olympic Games, won three titles, collected 4,500 ATP points, and earned almost $4.5 million. Without those points, the Italian would have slipped to world No 5 and would enter next week's US Open as the fifth seed, theoretically handing him a more challenging route to the final.
Instead, it would have been world No 2 Novak Djokovic and third-ranked Carlos Alcaraz – separated by just 100 points – who would have been jostling for the top ranking ahead of the US Open. Spare a thought also for Grigor Dimitrov, Hubert Hurkacz, and Frances Tiafoe, who were respectively beaten in the Miami, Halle, and Cincinnati finals by Sinner, denying them trophies and precious ranking points shortly before Grand Slams.
The ATP will, of course, not want this saga to be the main focus in the lead-up to the US Open as a season that has witnessed a clear changing of the guard, centrally involving Sinner, edges towards its conclusion. However, Sinner's perceived preferential treatment has shone a renewed light on the alleged inconsistencies of the ITIA, and given the Italian's status as the world's best player, it will be an unwelcome distraction in New York.
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Tightening the screw on rogue recruiters
The UAE overhauled the procedure to recruit housemaids and domestic workers with a law in 2017 to protect low-income labour from being exploited.
Only recruitment companies authorised by the government are permitted as part of Tadbeer, a network of labour ministry-regulated centres.
A contract must be drawn up for domestic workers, the wages and job offer clearly stating the nature of work.
The contract stating the wages, work entailed and accommodation must be sent to the employee in their home country before they depart for the UAE.
The contract will be signed by the employer and employee when the domestic worker arrives in the UAE.
Only recruitment agencies registered with the ministry can undertake recruitment and employment applications for domestic workers.
Penalties for illegal recruitment in the UAE include fines of up to Dh100,000 and imprisonment
But agents not authorised by the government sidestep the law by illegally getting women into the country on visit visas.
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The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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VEZEETA PROFILE
Date started: 2012
Founder: Amir Barsoum
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: HealthTech / MedTech
Size: 300 employees
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Investors: Technology Development Fund, Silicon Badia, Beco Capital, Vostok New Ventures, Endeavour Catalyst, Crescent Enterprises’ CE-Ventures, Saudi Technology Ventures and IFC
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Challenge Cup result:
1. UAE 3 faults
2. Ireland 9 faults
3. Brazil 11 faults
4. Spain 15 faults
5. Great Britain 17 faults
6. New Zealand 20 faults
7. Italy 26 faults
2.0
Director: S Shankar
Producer: Lyca Productions; presented by Dharma Films
Cast: Rajnikanth, Akshay Kumar, Amy Jackson, Sudhanshu Pandey
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Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
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Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
Episode list:
Ep1: A recovery like no other- the unevenness of the economic recovery
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Ep3: The recovery and global trade disruptions - globalisation post-pandemic
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Women & Power: A Manifesto
Mary Beard
Profile Books and London Review of Books
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Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
BeIN Sports currently has the rights to show
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- Wimbledon and other tennis majors
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Squad
Ali Kasheif, Salim Rashid, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Khalfan Mubarak, Ali Mabkhout, Omar Abdulrahman, Mohammed Al Attas, Abdullah Ramadan, Zayed Al Ameri (Al Jazira), Mohammed Al Shamsi, Hamdan Al Kamali, Mohammed Barghash, Khalil Al Hammadi (Al Wahda), Khalid Essa, Mohammed Shaker, Ahmed Barman, Bandar Al Ahbabi (Al Ain), Al Hassan Saleh, Majid Suroor (Sharjah) Walid Abbas, Ahmed Khalil (Shabab Al Ahli), Tariq Ahmed, Jasim Yaqoub (Al Nasr), Ali Saleh, Ali Salmeen (Al Wasl), Hassan Al Muharami (Baniyas)
Match info
Australia 580
Pakistan 240 and 335
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Which honey takes your fancy?
Al Ghaf Honey
The Al Ghaf tree is a local desert tree which bears the harsh summers with drought and high temperatures. From the rich flowers, bees that pollinate this tree can produce delicious red colour honey in June and July each year
Sidr Honey
The Sidr tree is an evergreen tree with long and strong forked branches. The blossom from this tree is called Yabyab, which provides rich food for bees to produce honey in October and November. This honey is the most expensive, but tastiest
Samar Honey
The Samar tree trunk, leaves and blossom contains Barm which is the secret of healing. You can enjoy the best types of honey from this tree every year in May and June. It is an historical witness to the life of the Emirati nation which represents the harsh desert and mountain environments
