Barbora Zahlavova Strycova Given Six-Month Ban For Doping Violation

Written by: Staff on 15th February 2013

Citi Open tennis tournament in Washington, DC

Barbora Zahlavova Strycova Given Six-Month Ban For Doping Violation

epa03328316 Barbora Zahlavova-Strycova of Czech Republic returns the ball during her match with Edina Gallovits-Hall of Romania at the Citi Open tennis tournament in Washington, DC, USA, 30 July 2012. Gallovits-Hallhall defeated Zahlavova-Strycova. EPA/SHAWN THEW |

As calls for increased levels of drug testing have become prevalent in top-flight tennis and the Czech Republic’s Barbora Zahlavova Strycova has been given a back-dated six-month ban after testing positive for a banned stimulant, the sport’s four ruling bodies have agreed to meet in New York next month to address the issue.

Top of the agenda for the Grand Slam committee, the ATP World Tour, the WTA and the International Tennis Federation will be the need to make sufficient financial measures to facilitate the introduction of biological passports and so significantly upgrade and modernize tennis’ anti-doping program .

The big four of men’s tennis; Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Andy Murray, all yearn for biological passports to avert suspicions that doping might be as prevalent in tennis as cycling. They all insist there is nowhere near sufficient blood testing in the sport and Federer said: “A blood passport will be necessary as some substances can’t be discovered right now but might in the future, and that risk of discovery can chase cheaters away.”

Meanwhile 26-year-old Zahlavova Strycova, formerly world no. 39 and currently ranked 124th, has been banned following the submission of a positive urine sample in Luxembourg last October.

She claimed the stimulant, sibutramine, had entered her system via weight-loss supplement ACAI Berry Thin and denied any intent to enhance her performance.

With the exception of an ITF $75,000 tournament in Germany the following week, Zahlavova Strycova has not competed since and with her ban backdated, she can return to competition on April 16.

The ITF said it did not dispute Zahlavova Strycova’s account of the circumstances surrounding her ingestion of sibutramine.

©Daily tennis News Wire

Topics: anti doping in tennis, ATP anti doping rules, Barbora Zahlavova Strycova, Czech tennis news, Sports, Tennis News, tennis sports, WTA doping rules