By Shrivathsa Sridhar
MELBOURNE (Reuters) – The International Tennis Federation (ITF) on Monday named Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek as its world champions of 2024 in recognition of their performances at the Grand Slams and other top events last season.
World number one Sinner, who has a potential ban of up to two years hanging over his head after failing two drugs test last year, won his first Grand Slam title at the Australian Open and followed that up with another at the U.S. Open.
He also lifted the ATP Finals title, finishing the season with a 73-6 win-loss record, and guided Italy to their second successive Davis Cup triumph in Malaga.
Sinner failed two drug tests in March but was cleared of wrongdoing year by a doping tribunal after it accepted his explanation that a banned substance had entered his system from his former physio through massages.
The World Anti-Doping Agency has appealed that decision and the 23-year-old faces a hearing at the Court of Arbitration for Sport in April.
Swiatek edged out world number one Aryna Sabalenka to take the women’s prize for the second time after the 23-year-old Pole won her fourth French Open title, four WTA 1000 trophies and also collected a bronze medal at the Paris Olympics.
However, she also fell foul of doping rules and served a one-month ban after a tribunal accepted that her failed test for trimetazidine had been the result of a contaminated batch of sleeping drug melatonin.
The ITF also named Marcelo Arevalo of El Salvador and Mate Pavic of Croatia, and the Italian pair of Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini as doubles world champions.
The winners were chosen based on results from the season, with special emphasis on Grand Slam tournaments, the Davis Cup and Billie Jean King Cup, as well as the Olympic Games.
(Reporting by Shrivathsa Sridhar; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
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