Australian tennis star Max Purcell will be sidelined for at least a year and a half, after he was handed a doping ban by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA).
The 27-year-old was handed an 18-month suspension, after he was found to have breached the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme (TADP).
Purcell will now be unable to return to the court until mid next year, with his ban officially starting last December when he was first made aware of the allegation.
Max Purcell handed 18-month drug ban
Max Purcell has been banned by the ITIA for 18 months after he was found to have committed a doping infraction.
The Aussie, who has won both Wimbledon and US Open doubles titles, admitted to using a prohibited method to receive intravenous infusions, resulting in the suspension.
"The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) today confirms that Australian tennis player Max Purcell has accepted a suspension of 18 months under the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme (TADP)," read a statement by the ITIA.
"27-year-old Purcell, who reached a career-high world doubles ranking of 8 in September 2024, admitted to breaching Article 2.2 of the TADP (use of a Prohibited Method) by receiving intravenous infusions of over 500mL on 16 and 20 December 2023. The limit under the World Anti-Doping Code and TADP is 100mL in a 12-hour period.
"The ITIA sent the player a notice of a potential Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV) on 12 December 2024, and on the same day the player requested to enter into a voluntary provisional suspension, which came into effect immediately.
"Following a full investigation by the ITIA, which included evidence gathering and interviews with the player, Purcell admitted to the breaches. The player’s full co-operation and information sharing with the ITIA allowed for a 25% reduction in sanction.
"Time served under the voluntary provisional suspension is credited against the period of ineligibility. As such, Purcell’s suspension will end on 11 June 2026. The player will also forfeit results and prize money from the date of their first ADRV (16 December 2023) to their first subsequent negative doping control sample, which was provided on 3 February 2024."
Purcell will be cleared to return in June of 2026.