A teenage tennis player from Russia has been banned from playing competitive tennis for nine months after testing positive for a performance enhancing drug. The 14-year-old, who has not been named because of their age, tested positive for meldonium during a random anti-doping test.
The teenager was playing in only their second senior tournament in January when they were selected for the random test resulting in a positive result. Meldonium is a banned substance created to increase the capacity of the body to carry oxygen.
The Tennis Anti-Doping Programme (TADP) said that the length of the ban was determined by the player's young age, level and lack of access to anti-doping education.
“Due to the player’s age, level and lack of access to anti-doping education, the sanction was set at nine months, backdated to the date of the player’s provisional suspension (March 5),” a statement from the TADP said.
“This means that the player is ineligible to compete in or attend any tennis events authorised, organised or sanctioned by the governing bodies of the sport until December 4, 2022.”
The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) says the player will be able to return to the senior tour in December. They added that the player in question would be provided with a one-to-one education session as part of their reinstatement.
The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) added meldonium to their list of banned substances in 2016 because of “evidence of its use by athletes with the intention of enhancing performance.”
Russian athletes are currently unable to compete under their country’s name, flag and national anthem at major international sporting events until December 16, 2022. The WADA ban was enforced after the country was banned for doping non-compliance.
The ban was originally four years in length before being halved on appeal in 2020 by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).