Lleyton Hewitt Suspended for Assault on Anti-Doping Officer
Two-time Grand Slam champion Lleyton Hewitt has been suspended for two weeks after assaulting a doping control officer.
The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) announced this Wednesday that the sanction will be in effect from September 25 to October 7. This measure seeks to avoid an “unduly punitive” impact on Hewitt, protecting his participation in the Davis Cup.
The incident took place in November, after Hewitt, in his role as Australia’s captain, pushed a 60-year-old volunteer in charge of doping control, following his team’s defeat in the semi-finals against Italy.
Hewitt denied the accusation, claiming self-defense.
The ITIA referred the case to an independent tribunal, which upheld the accusation of offensive conduct, determining that Hewitt’s actions “did not meet the requirements of self-defense” and that his behavior “was not reasonable or proportionate”.
The former men’s tennis No. 1, 44 years old, was also fined approximately $20,000.
