Tennis Player Suspended for Doping: The Strange Defense of a Kiss
Professional tennis player Goncalo Oliveira, who represents Venezuela, has been suspended for four years by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), after testing positive for methamphetamine. The provisional suspension of Oliveira occurred in January, after an anti-doping control carried out in November 2024 during the ATP Challenger event in Manzanillo, Mexico. Both sample A and B confirmed the presence of the prohibited substance. The player, born in Portugal, denied having consumed the drug and presented his defense before an independent tribunal, alleging that the presence of the substance was involuntary. However, the tribunal did not accept his argument. Despite the suspension, Oliveira will receive credit for the time he was provisionally suspended, which means he will be able to compete professionally again on January 16, 2029. In August 2020, Oliveira reached the 77th position in the world doubles ranking, his best career position.This case is reminiscent of similar situations in the world of sports.
