Russian Tennis Player Banned for 4 Years After Doping Violation in Morocco

The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) announced on Friday that Russian tennis player Vladislav Ivanov has been suspended from the sport for a period of four years following a violation of the Tennis Anti-Doping Program (TADP) during his participation in the M15 tournament in Casablanca in September 2022, according to Associated Press. The Russian is accused of refusing to provide a urine sample, choosing instead to leave the tournament venue. He later returned to fulfill this requirement, but was charged with an anti-doping rule violation under Article 2.3 of the TADP for refusing to provide a urine sample when requested.

"A player refusing to take a test is rare, but it sends a powerful message to any athlete about the devastating consequences if they do," said Karen Moorhouse, CEO of the ITIA, before inviting players selected for testing to provide their sample as soon as possible, listen carefully to the instructions given by the doping control officer, and be accompanied from the moment of notification to the sample collection. She added, "We understand that the testing process can be inconvenient, but it is vital in the fight for clean sport."