No. 29 Yastremska denied bid to lift suspension

Tennis

LONDON — The International Tennis Federation on Saturday denied a bid by 29th-ranked Dayana Yastremska to lift a suspension for failing an out-of-competition doping test.

The ruling can be appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport by the 20-year-old from Ukraine.

Players at Grand Slam tournaments and events sanctioned by the ITF, ATP and WTA are tested for substances prohibited by the World Anti-Doping Agency.

Yastremska drew a provisional suspension by the ITF on Jan. 7. She had tested positive for mesterolone metabolite, a prohibited substance that can be used to boost testosterone.

In a statement on her Twitter feed at the time, Yastremska said she was “astonished and under shock.”

“I firmly state that I have never used any performance enhancing drugs or any prohibited substances,” she said.

She said she passed a drug test at her most recent tournament, in Austria on Nov. 9.

Yastremska has won three WTA singles titles. She reached a career-high ranking of No. 21 a year ago. Her best showing at a Grand Slam tournament was reaching the fourth round at Wimbledon in her main-draw debut there in 2019.

“You can be assured that I am resolutely determined to do everything to clear my name,” Yastremska said.

The 2021 tennis season started this month, including a WTA tournament in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The year’s first major championship, the Australian Open, begins Feb. 8.

Articles You May Like

Rays’ home can’t be fixed in time for ’25 season
Allgaier wins first Xfinity title with dramatic rally
Real or not? Judging early returns from all 32 NHL teams
A Lim Kim earns 2nd LPGA Tour title in Hawaii
Overheard at Hockey Hall of Fame weekend: Buzz on the Class of 2025, NHL expansion, 4 Nations Face-Off

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *