Russian teenager banned from tennis for nine months following anti-doping breach
Rescue workers, stretchers and a white coat are all that remain after a Russian player was banned for nine months for a doping offence, after he tested positive for a banned substance at an exhibition event.
Mickael Ostertag was also banned from competing in any tournaments for two years for breaching anti-doping rules, which were imposed by the International Tennis Federation.
The 16-year-old, ranked world No. 5, was found guilty of one positive test and one failed test administered at last year’s exhibition event in Moscow.
An I.T.F. statement said that a full investigation had been carried out and the two positive tests were due to his use of the blood-boosting ergothioneine substance, which is banned at the 2014 and 2015 world championships.
Ivan Ljubičić, secretary general of the I.T.F., said that “the decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport concerning the ban of the case has been confirmed by the I.T.F.
“Samples and an athlete’s account have been submitted to the I.T.F. and there is no evidence to suggest that these two positive tests were due to other factors.”
Ostertag is the first player to be banned under the new rules following revelations of a major doping conspiracy involving the sport, including the use, in some cases, of testosterone to boost the performance of some players.
Vladimir Kramnik, the world No. 1 and a former world number three, was banned for 10 years and fined 1.8 million euros last week when he was found guilty of using a banned substance within the previous two years.
In 2013, a Spanish player and former world number one Rafael Nadal won the men’s title, their first ever, and became only the third player since the introduction of the
