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Sinner twice tested positive for clostebol - a steroid that can be used to build muscle mass - during the Indian Wells tournament last year.
He did not dispute traces of clostebol were found in his urine test and successfully argued that he had been inadvertently contaminated with the substance by his physiotherapist.
The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), accepted there was "no fault or negligence" attached to Sinner and he had provided a "credible" explanation.
Wada is not questioning the player's explanation of why the substance ended up in his system, but believes the independent panel's finding that Sinner held no fault or negligence is "not correct under the applicable rules".
The Italian had the best year of his career so far in 2024, winning the US Open as well as the Melbourne trophy.
He also clinched the season-ending ATP Finals and helped his country retain the Davis Cup.
However, his doping case - and that of five-time major champion Iga Swiatek - sparked discussion about how cases are handled within tennis.
Speaking before the Cas date was announced, Sinner said: "I would lie if I would tell you I forget [about the hearing].
"It's something what I have with me now already for quite a long time.
"But it is what it is."
Raducanu is looking to build on a 2024 season in which she made encouraging progress following surgeries on her wrists and ankle.
However, the injury issues which have blighted her - for most of the time since she stunned the world to win the 2021 US Open as a teenage qualifier - also continued.
At last year's US Open, a lack of match action led to a rusty first-round exit and a tearful admission afterwards that it was a "lesson learned".
"I think the difference between this and the US Open is I hadn't actually trained at all really before the US Open," said Raducanu, who employed Yutaka Nakamura as a full-time fitness coach in December.
"But I've been putting in really good work."
The former world number 10 added: "The way [Yutaka] has structured our practices and our days has helped me to get into that position where I feel pretty ready."
In a bid to negate the lack of match practice, Raducanu has played sets against sixth seed Elena Rybakina, of Kazakhstan, and former world number four Caroline Garcia, of France.
"Stepping out with them is great... to see and measure your game and where it is at," she said.
"This week I've played with really top players and felt good on the court. I didn't feel I was out of my depth at all.
"It definitely gives me confidence but it is another thing putting it on the match court."
Former Ireland international Chris Farrell has been sacked by French club Oyonnax following his conviction last month.
Farrell, 31, received a four-year sentence, with two years suspended, for failure to prevent a rape crime.
The court was told County Tyrone-born Farrell would not be sent to prison but would have to wear an electronic tag for two years and remain in France.
At the trial at Bordeaux's Cour d'Asisses, former Ireland Under-20 international Denis Coulson was sentenced to 14 years in prison after he was found guilty of the rape of a woman in Bordeaux in 2017.
The two men were on trial with three other rugby players. All five men were once team-mates together at FC Grenoble.
Loick Jammes, 30, from France, was found guilty of rape and given a 14-year sentence.
Rory Grice, 34, from New Zealand, was found guilty of rape and given a 12-year sentence.
Fellow New Zealander 30-year-old Dylan Hayes was given a two-year suspended sentence for failure to prevent a crime.
England flanker Sam Underhill is an injury doubt for the Six Nations after Bath announced he requires ankle surgery.
The 28-year-old injured his ankle in Bath's 35-34 defeat by Premiership champions Northampton on Sunday.
Bath issued a medical update to say he will "undergo surgery to rectify a new ankle injury" with there being "no set timeframe on his recovery".
Underhill, since his exclusion from England's original Rugby World Cup squad in 2023, has established himself as a regular in Steve Borthwick's starting team at open-side flanker.
He started every game for England after the World Cup in 2023, and played in recent autumn defeats by South Africa and Japan, scoring a try in both.
It was an ankle injury which kept Underhill, who has been capped 40 times, out Borthwick's side's opening two autumn Tests against New Zealand and Australia.
He joins a growing England injury list, with wing Immanuel Feyi-Waboso in danger of missing the Six Nations because of a dislocated shoulder, while full-back George Furbank is struggling with a broken arm.
While Sweeney retains the support of the RFU board, who ultimately decide his future, a significant vote against him from members would ratchet up the pressure.
"The notice to request an SGM contained a significant number of inaccuracies, however, the RFU respects the right of its members to call for an SGM and for their views to be heard," read a statement from the governing body.
Bill Beaumont, who served as World Rugby chair until last year, was brought back to the RFU as interim chairman after the crisis, fuelled by anger over bonuses paid to Sweeney and other executives, prompted Tom Ilube to step down from the role.
Beaumont has written to the RFU's member clubs, defending the RFU management and calling for unity. He admitted, though, there are justifiable concerns around a bonus scheme that resulted in Sweeney being paid 1.1m in a financial year which also included record financial losses for the RFU, job losses and a poor run of form from England's men's team.
"Objectively, we should ask whether English rugby, in the aftermath, was managed effectively," wrote Beaumont. "Having seen all countries wrangle the same problems, I can say with confidence, in comparison to many other countries, the RFU has come out of this period very well.
"The RFU did not receive any government or World Rugby loans. It did, however, successfully negotiate support on behalf of community clubs, and facilitated professional clubs' access to government loans, which ensured rugby received more financial support in England than any other sport.
"There is much work needed to reset and come together as a united game, and I am committed to supporting that."
Former England captain Beaumont will also tour England during January and February to meet with grassroots clubs.
"We all want winning men's and women's England teams, and this can't happen without a thriving community game," he added in his letter.
"I want us to have unity, and the stability required to deliver this. If we work together, we will succeed. If we work against each other, English rugby will not be the winner on or off the pitch."
Gloucester: Barton; Wade, Harris, Llewellyn, Hathaway; Carreras, Englefield; Vivas, Singleton, Knight, Thomas, Clark, Clement, Ludlow (capt), Ackermann.
Replacements: Blake, Ford-Robinson, Gotovstev, Jordan, Clarke, Tuisue, Williams, Atkinson.
Scarlets: Lloyd; Mee, Page, James, Murray; Costelow, Hughes; Mathias, van der Merwe, Thomas, Craig, Douglas, Plumtree, Macleod (capt), Fifita.
Replacements: Evans, Hepburn, Hawley, Lousi, Taylor, Davies, Roberts, Nicholas.
Referee: Jeremy Rozier
Glasgow beat Racing to seal Champions Cup knockout spot
Glasgow Warriors booked their spot in the knockout stages of the Champions Cup with a clinical destruction of Racing 92 at Scotstoun.
First-half tries from George Horne, Jamie Dobie, Sebastian Cancelliere and Sione Tuipulotu put the hosts in control, with Vinaya Habosi responding for the French side.
Rory Darge crossed after the break and although substitute Lee-Marvin Mazibuko and Tristan Tedder hit back for the visitors, Glasgow closed it out for an important bonus-point win.
Warriors face English Premiership side Harlequins at the Stoop next weekend as they look to secure a higher spot in the final pool standings and ensure a more favourable draw in the next round.
They came flying out of the blocks and were over the Racing line with barely two minutes on the clock.
Tuipulotu made a magnificent break from deep and a few phases later some lovely handling allowed Josh McKay to put Horne away under the sticks and become Glasgow's record try-scorer in European competition.
Horne had to leave the field shortly after for a head injury assessment and did not reappear, but his replacement Dobie took no time to make his mark, getting on the end of a powerful burst from Matt Fagerson to dive over for the second try.
Warriors were cooking and some exquisite handling in the midfield carved up the Racing defence and set Cancelliere free to score.
The visitors finally showed some signs of life five minutes before the break, Antoine Gibert's crossfield kick finding Habosi to score and reduce the deficit to 10 points.
Glasgow hit back almost immediately, Tuipulotu arriving onto the ball like a battering ram to cut through the defence, skip past Henry Arundell and dive over to establish a 15-point advantage at the break.
The home side all but finished the contest when Darge peeled off the back of a rolling line-out maul to go over for try number five.
Racing then enjoyed their first period of sustained pressure in the match and were rewarded with a try from Mazibuko.
The Parisians had belatedly arrived at the party and Tedder finished off a lovely passage of play to score their third try.
It was too little too late, however, as Glasgow banked the five points to ensure their European challenge will continue into the knockout stages.
Glasgow: McKay, Cancelliere, Jones, Tuipulotu, Steyn, Jordan, G Horne, Sutherland, Matthews, Z Fagerson, Brown, Cummings, M Fagerson, Darge, Mann.
Replacements: Hiddleston, Bhatti, Talakai, Samuel, Miller, Ferrie, Dobie, Weir.
Racing 92: Spring, Habosi, Tedder, Chavancy, Arundell, Gibert, Le Bail, Julien, Kaitu'u, Sordoni, Palu, Kpoku, Zinzen, Diallo, Baudonne.
Replacements: Escobar, Ben Arous, Mazibuko, R. Taofifenua, Dayimani, Labarbe, Lancaster, Idrissi.
The 2025 Dakar Rally has served up an opening week like nothing off-road fans have witnessed before with a 48-hour Chrono Stage and a two-day unassisted Marathon Stage.
The competitors who remain were rewarded with a well-earned day of rest on Friday.
Here are the most intriguing facts and figures from the first week in Saudi Arabia:
-American racer Seth Quintero is no stranger to making history at the Dakar Rally after the former Red Bull Off-Road Junior Team driver won an amazing 12 of the 13 stages in the Challenger class at the 2022 Dakar.
The Californian native has rewritten the history books again by becoming the youngest ever driver to win a pair of Ultimate stages, thanks to Saturday and then Thursday wins aged just 22. He admitted: Rest Day is not my favorite day. Id rather just keep it going and see what happens.
-The tricky terrain often sees high-profile competitors exit early with defending car champion Carlos Sainz and three-time runner-up Sébastien Loeb retiring along with Spaniard Laia Sanz her first retirement in 15 Dakar attempts.
They have all been as a result of the FIA determining their roll cages sustained too much damage after their cars flipped.
-Australian biker Daniel Sanders has been in determined mood during the opening week. The Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider followed up his victory on the Prologue with Stage 1, 2 and 4 wins to arrive at the Rest Day with a lead of over 15 minutes. The 30-year-old revealed: The aim for Rest Day is to just chill out a bit. Get some good sleep and good food. A bit of a massage would be good, maybe a swim. Anything that can help to loosen me up a bit.
-One of the most popular racers inside and outside of the bivouac is Dania Akeel. The Saudi Arabian driver has fans all over her homeland and they have cheered her on to fifth place in the Challenger class at Rest Day, which means she looks set to beat her best ever finish of eighth overall.
-Challenger race rookie Gonçalo Guerreiro admitted that he had never driven anything like the 48-hour Chrono Stage before. The Portuguese driver spent over 12 hours racing against the clock to post the fourth fastest time in class and the new recruit to the Red Bull Off-Road Junior Team is second overall, just 28m34s behind leader Nicolas Cavigliasso.
-After covering 3,560km in the first week, the remaining distance in the second week is even greater as there is a further 4,245 kilometers to cover with all roads leading to the Empty Quarter desert. After stops in Al Duwadimi, Riyadh and Haradh, it will be among Saudi Arabias most formidable sand dunes that this latest 47th edition of the Dakar Rally will ultimately be won and lost by the Jan. 17 finish in Shubaytah.
-After 2,559 kilometers of specials covered by the bikes and 2,579 by the cars and trucks, 299 vehicles have reached the rest day in Hail in the heart of Saudi Arabia. 118 bikes (including 100 Rally 2), 58 Ultimate cars, 2 Stock, 45 Challenger cars, 33 SSV and 43 trucks will resume racing on Saturday for the seven stages remaining before the final finishing line in Shubaytah, in the Empty Quarter. 81 vehicles have been able to use a joker to remain in the race, while 36 have been forced into premature exits (i.e., 10.75%).
At the midway point, the rankings are dominated by Daniel Sanders in the Rally GP class; Edgar Canet in the Rally 2 class; Henk Lategan in the Ultimate class; Nicolas Cavigliasso in the Challenger class; Brock Heger in the SSV category; and Martin Macik in the truck race, all of whom are under the age of 36 years.
The rejuvenation of the discipline is underlined by the records for youthful promise beaten by Seth Quintero and then Saood Variawa, respectively aged 22 and 19 years and both stage winners, as well as the early departures from the rally by Carlos Sainz and Sébastien Loeb.
Judge Denies Request To Dismiss Lawsuit Against NASCAR
U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell denied a request from NASCAR and its attorneys to dismiss the lawsuit filed against the sanctioning body and its chairman Jim France by 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports.
The two teams refused to sign the new charter agreement during the fall and filed an antitrust lawsuit against NASCAR and France on Oct. 2.
Bells ruling came Friday after he heard arguments from both sides during a Jan. 8 court hearing.
The parties to this action cast their existential dispute in starkly different terms. According to Plaintiffs, NASCAR (led by the dynastic France family) is the iron-fisted monopolistic ruler of premier stock car racing that has imposed anticompetitive take it or leave it terms on Plaintiffs and other top-tier racing teams, Bell wrote in his ruling.
In Defendants telling, NASCAR and the France family are the founders and guiding lights of a beloved and valuable racing series, who have fairly negotiated mutually beneficial Charter Agreements that reflect reasonable commercial terms between NASCAR and the race teams.
What is the actual evidence and how does it inform a correct legal conclusion? These questions cannot be determined on motions to dismiss in this action, where Plaintiffs have sufficiently alleged one or more plausible antitrust claims against Defendants within the applicable period of limitations.
Instead, the answers must be found when the parties have a full opportunity to pursue discovery of the relevant facts and then at trial, where the jury will be able to weigh the evidence and assess the credibility of the witnesses (unless the case is resolved sooner by the parties or the Court). Therefore, the Court will DENY the Defendants Motions to Dismiss.
The judge also denied a request from NASCAR that 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports post a bond of more than $10 million per car in order to compete during the coming season.
BARBERVILLE, Fla. Danny Dietrich is set to leave his snow-covered sprint car homeland of Pennsylvania for the warm weather of Florida to compete with the American Sprint Car Series National Tour at Volusia Speedway Park.
Dietrich, 36, of Gettysburg, Pa., will enter his Weikerts Livestock Inc, Maxim Chassis No. 48 with a Travis Racing Engine, owned by Chris and Mindy Hiser, for his first ASCS appearance outside of the 360 Knoxville Nationals.
He and the Gary Kauffman Racing team will compete in the opening nights of the 54th annual Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals at Volusia, Jan. 30Feb. 1.
The PA Posse standout has been a DIRTcar Nationals entrant every year since 2017 with the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series and has plenty of laps around Volusias fast, half-mile confines in his regular 410 sprint car.
He raced Volusia for the first time with a 360 engine in the car on the final two nights of the 2024 Germfree Southern Sprint Car Shootout, garnering back-to-back fifth-place finishes.
So, what brings the veteran winged racer back for more 360 sprint car competition at Volusia this year?
It just makes it better for us to go down there and get some laps in before 410s start up the week, Dietrich said. We dont have the race in Georgia like weve had in years past, or the race at Ocala like we have in years past, so its always good to get some laps [at Volusia].
And its probably even better for us, being that were not having to leave one track and go to another. We can just go to Volusia and camp out for a week or so.
While Dietrich is eager to get the local 410 sprint car season started back home, the action around Pennsylvania does not begin until March. Racing two weekends at Volusia also gives he and his team the additional benefit of getting ahead of their competition at home by turning laps and wrenches at the track before most others.
I just enjoy going to Volusia and starting the season off, having the crew back around the track and in the trailer, and just getting back into the swing of things, Dietrich said. Volusia hospitality is very good, and honestly the fan base has grown so much over the years, just more and more. Every year, it seems like there gets to be more and more fans walking through the pit area.
Its good for the racers and good for the teams to get down there and get gelling before things really get kicked off back here in Pennsylvania.
Dietrich is well-versed in the high-speed nature of tracks like Volusia. But does he view his weekly experience on the big tracks as an advantage over the touring stars of ASCS?
Not at all not at all, Dietrich said. We just dont have anything here in Pennsylvania like Volusia. Volusia is probably about as close to Eldora as it is anything, if I had to give an opinion. It kinda races somewhat similar as far as the shape of it not saying we get up on the fence like we do at Eldora or anything like that but it definitely has some similarities as far as how round it is, and you dont really drive very straight around the track.
DIRTcar Nationals kicks off a new era in ASCS National Tour history with the first, full-length schedule constructed under the new ownership of World Racing Group, which purchased the series last March.
I think having ASCS down there is definitely going to help the situation with the 360s, and in Florida as well, Dietrich said. To have ASCS involved and taking over Volusia will be really, really good for 360s as a whole maybe even across the whole country. Kinda gets them another good track and another good forefront where they get the publicity they should be getting.
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