LONDON, January 28, 2025 (ITIA Press Release)
The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) today confirms that two tennis players have been provisionally suspended under the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme (TADP).
David Saye, a 20-year-old tennis player from the United States of America, has been issued with a mandatory provisional suspension, while Yash Chaurasia, a 23-year-old tennis player from India, has elected to take a voluntary provisional suspension.
Saye, who reached a career-high world singles ranking of 1327 in November 2023, provided an in-competition sample while competing in an ITF World Tennis Tour M15 event in Fayetteville, North Carolina, USA, on 19 September 2024.
The sample was split into A and B samples and the subsequent analysis found that both samples contained amfetamine, which is prohibited under the TADP, in the category of Stimulants (section S6.a of the 2024 World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List).
Amfetamine is a non-Specified substance, and Saye did not possess a valid TUE for the substance. The player was advised of their right to apply for a retroactive TUE, but did not complete the process.
As such, the ITIA sent the player a pre-charge notice of an Anti-Doping Rule Violation on 7 January 2025 under Article 2.1 of the TADP (presence of a Prohibited Substance in a Player’s Sample) and/or Article 2.2 (Use of a Prohibited Substance without a valid Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE)).
Findings for non-Specified Substances carry a mandatory provisional suspension – in Saye’s case, this has been in effect from 7 January 2025. Players have the right to appeal the imposition of their provisional suspension before an independent tribunal chair. Saye elected not to appeal.
Chaurasia, who reached a career-high world doubles ranking of 1355 in June 2023, provided an in-competition sample while competing in an ITF World Tennis Tour M25 event in Kalaburagi, India, on 21 November 2024.
The sample was split into A and B samples and the subsequent analysis found that both samples contained terbutaline, which is prohibited under the TADP, in the category of Beta-2 Agonists (section S3 of the 2024 World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List).
Terbutaline is a Specified substance, and Chaurasia did not possess a valid TUE for the substance. While findings for Specified substances do not carry a mandatory provisional suspension during investigation, Chaurasia elected to take a voluntary provisional suspension on 22 January 2025.
While provisionally suspended, both players are prohibited from playing in, coaching at, or attending any tennis event authorised or sanctioned by the members of the ITIA (ATP, ITF, WTA, Tennis Australia, Fédération Française de Tennis, Wimbledon and USTA) or any national association.
