Jannik Sinner has agreed to accept an immediate three-month doping ban from the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) – a decision that was quickly met with criticism from inside the game, with Nick Kyrgios calling it “a sad day for tennis”.

Sinner, who successfully defended his Australian Open title last month, tested positive for the anabolic agent clostebol last year which he said had entered his system from a member of his support team through massages and sports therapy.

The men’s world No 1 was initially cleared by an independent tribunal after being provisionally suspended, however Wada had appealed against that decision to the court of arbitration for sport (Cas). On Saturday it emerged that a deal had been reached that would see Sinner banned from 9 February to 4 May – with Wada accepting the Italian player had not deliberately cheated, and allowing him to return before the French Open begins on 25 May.

“Wada accepts that Mr Sinner did not intend to cheat and that his exposure to clostebol did not provide any performance-enhancing benefit and took place without his knowledge as the result of negligence of members of his entourage,” Wada said in a statement. “However, under the Code and by virtue of Cas precedent, an athlete bears responsibility for the entourage’s negligence.”

The case was set to be heard by Cas in April and Sinner was in danger of being banned for up to two years.

“This case had been hanging over me now for nearly a year and the process still had a long time to run with a decision maybe only at the end of the year,” Sinner said in a statement. “I have always accepted that I am responsible for my team and realise Wada’s strict rules are an important protection for the sport I love. On that basis I have accepted Wada’s offer to resolve these proceedings on the basis of a three-month sanction.”

However Kyrgios was among those to raise their eyebrows at the news, writing on X: “Obviously Sinner’s team have done everything in their power to just go ahead and take a three-month ban, no titles lost, no prize money lost. Guilty or not? Sad day for tennis. Fairness in tennis does not exist.”

The British player Liam Broady also expressed his surprise, writing: “Didn’t realise you could reach a settlement regarding a doping ban … Interesting. Back in time for the French Open I guess?”

Meanwhile the former British No 1 Tim Henman also criticised the ban as “too convenient” and warned it would leave fans of the sport with a “pretty sour taste”.

“First and foremost I don’t think in any way he has been trying to cheat at any stage, I don’t believe that,” said the four-time Wimbledon semi-finalist. “However, when I read this statement this morning it just seems a little bit too convenient. When you’re dealing with drugs in sport it very much has to be black and white, it’s binary, it’s positive or negative, you’re banned or you’re not banned.

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“When you start reading words like settlement or agreement, it feels like there’s been a negotiation and I don’t think that will sit well with the player cohort and the fans of the sport.”

However, Sinner’s lawyer Jamie Singer said Wada had confirmed the facts determined by the independent tribunal. “It is clear that Jannik had no intent, no knowledge, and gained no competitive advantage. Regrettably, errors made by members of his team led to this situation,” Singer said.

Sinner is the second high-ranked player to accept a doping ban in recent months after women’s world No 2 Iga Swiatek accepted a one-month suspension in November having tested positive for banned substance trimetazidine (TMZ).

On Friday, Sinner had posted a video on Instagram of him training in Doha at the Qatar Open, which starts next week. The earliest he could now return is at his home tournament, the Italian Open in Rome, which starts on 7 May.

The Italian Tennis and Padel Federation president, Angelo Binaghi, declared that while the case was “a shameful injustice”, the ban will mark “the end of a nightmare” for Sinner. Binaghi added that the settlement “demonstrates Jannik’s innocence” and that “all of Italy” will welcome him back at the Italian Open.

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