Professional Tennis Player Suspended for Doping: The Bizarre Kiss Defense
The world of professional tennis is shaken by a new controversy. Goncalo Oliveira, a tennis player representing Venezuela, has been suspended for four years by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), after testing positive for methamphetamine. Oliveira’s provisional suspension occurred in January, following an anti-doping control carried out in November 2024, during an ATP Challenger event in Manzanillo, Mexico. The player’s A and B samples revealed the presence of the prohibited substance. The tennis player, born in Portugal, denied having consumed the drug and presented his defense before an independent tribunal. However, the tribunal determined that Oliveira could not prove that the presence of the drug was involuntary. Oliveira’s suspension includes the time already served since his provisional suspension, which means he will be able to compete professionally again on January 16, 2029. In August 2020, Oliveira reached the number 77 position in the world doubles ranking, the highest of his career. This case is reminiscent of others in the sports field where the defense of a kiss has been used to justify positive results in doping tests.Post title
In 2009, Richard Gasquet avoided a lengthy doping suspension when the International Tennis Federation tribunal ruled that he had inadvertently consumed cocaine by kissing a woman in a nightclub.
