Table of Contents
- Suspension Details
- Failed Drug Test
- Kiss Explanation
- Tribunal Decision
- Future Eligibility
- Career Highlights
A tennis player has received a four-year suspension from the International Tennis Integrity Agency following a peculiar explanation for his failed drug test.
Goncalo Oliveira, 30, tested positive for a banned substance in November last year while competing at an event in Manzanillo, Mexico.
Goncalo Oliveira has been suspended for four years
The Portuguese-born tennis star attributed his failed drug test to a kiss
Both the A and B samples provided by the athlete returned positive results during testing.
He received a provisional suspension in January following the test results.
The Portuguese-born player, who competes for Venezuela, suggested that the presence of the drug might have been due to a kiss.
According to reports from The Athletic , Oliveira contacted a woman, whose identity has been kept anonymous, to provide a witness statement for his case.
She testified that the two “ended up kissing” after she had “taken a pill that made me feel euphoria, agitation, confidence to socialize, and at that moment, a sense of energy and joy.”
Following the initial decision to impose a four-year suspension, Oliveira requested an independent tribunal to review his case.
However, the tribunal upheld the four-year ban, stating that the athlete did not sufficiently prove that the kiss was the source of the positive test, based on the balance of probabilities.
His time served under a provisional ban was credited towards the suspension period.
This means he will be eligible to compete again in January 2029.
Oliveira achieved a peak ranking just inside the top 200 in men's singles in 2017.
He experienced more success in doubles events, breaking into the top 100 and reaching a career-high ranking of 77.
What was the reason for Goncalo Oliveira's suspension? Goncalo Oliveira was suspended for four years due to a failed drug test, which he attributed to a kiss with a woman who had consumed a pill containing the banned substance.
Goncalo Oliveira was suspended for four years due to a failed drug test, which he attributed to a kiss with a woman who had consumed a pill containing the banned substance.
When will Oliveira be eligible to play again? He will be eligible to compete again in January 2029.
He will be eligible to compete again in January 2029.
What were Oliveira's career highlights? Oliveira peaked just inside the top 200 in men's singles rankings in 2017 and achieved a career-high ranking of 77 in doubles events.
Oliveira peaked just inside the top 200 in men's singles rankings in 2017 and achieved a career-high ranking of 77 in doubles events.
