LONDON, October 12, 2022 (ITIA Press Release)

The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) has confirmed that Mexican tennis player Luis Patiño has been banned from the sport for three years after the player admitted possession and use/attempted use of substances included on the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) prohibited list.

The information came to light during an investigation by the ITIA under the Tennis Anti-Corruption Programme. In the course of that investigation, evidence was found relating to the player’s possession of clenbuterol and stanozolol which are both Prohibited Substances.

On 18 September 2022, Patiño admitted to the possession and use / attempted use of both substances, therefore admitting that they had committed Anti-Doping Rule Violations under articles 2.2 and 2.6 of the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme (TADP).

The TADP provides for a one-year reduction in sanction for certain Anti-Doping Rule Violations based on early admission. Therefore, the ITIA determined that the player should be subject to a three-year period of ineligibility, reduced from four years and backdated to 15 July 2022 when the player was initially provisionally suspended. The player’s ban will therefore run until 14 July 2025.

The ITIA’s Senior Director of Anti-Doping Nicole Sapstead commented, “Not all anti-doping sanctions involve a positive test and this case demonstrates the benefits of the ITIA’s integrated approach to integrity in tennis. It is testament to our intelligence and investigations teams that we were able to pursue a non-analytical finding in this way and sends a clear message to anyone in the sport who is tempted to make a wrong turn that there can be repercussions, even years later.”