ITF Imposes 10 month Ban on Brazil's Beatriz Haddad Maia

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The International Tennis Federation has announced its decision under the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme regarding Brazilian player Beatriz Haddad Maia. The ITF says that Maia has committed an Anti-Doping Rule Violation under Article 2.1 and has imposed a period of ineligibility of ten months, starting from on 22 July 2019.

23 year old Maia provided a urine sample on 4 June 2019 while playing the WTA Croatia Bol Open held in Bol, Croatia from 3 June to 9 June 2019 which was found to contain SARM S-22 (Ostarine or Enobosarm) and SARM LGD-4033 (Ligandrol) metabolite.

SARM S-22 and SARM LDG-4033 are Non-Specified substances, which are prohibited under category S1 of the 2019 WADA Prohibited List (Anabolic Agents), and therefore are also prohibited under the Programme. Maia was provisionally suspended on 22 July 2019.

The ITF has accepted the player's explanation as to how the SARM S-22 and SARM LDG-4033 entered her system and agreed she bore No Significant Fault or Negligence for her violation due to which her period of ineligibility was back-dated to start on the date of her provisional suspension.

Her ban will end at midnight on 21 May 2020 and all the ranking points and prize money obtained by her since then have been disqualified. According to TenisBrasil, Maia was able to prove the cross contamination of a food supplement, which was consumed under medical prescription and attested that she had no intention of gaining a sporting advantage and she avoided a bigger sentence, which could have gone upto two years.

Maia peaked at No. 58 in the world rankings in 2017 and was ranked No. 99 in the WTA rankings when she was provisionally suspended. She currently appears at No. 147 in the world rankings and when she comes back, she will have only two points from the Roland Garros qualifying draw from last year. As per WTA rules, a player will be ranked only if they score 10 points or have points from three different tournaments.