Wimbledon and US Open doubles champion accepts 18-month ban for anti-doping breach
Two-time Grand Slam doubles champion Max Purcell has accepted an 18-month ban for breaching anti-doping rules, and the Australian has opened up about the impact the case has had on his life.
The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) has confirmed Purcell admitted to breaching Article 2.2 of the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme (TADP) for “use of a Prohibited Method.”
The Australian received intravenous infusions of over 500mL on the 16th and 20th of December in 2023. The limit under the World Anti-Doping Code and TADP is 100mL in a 12-hour period.
In a statement, the ITIA explained: “The ITIA sent the player a notice of a potential Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV) on 12 December 2024, and on the same day the player requested to enter into a voluntary provisional suspension, which came into effect immediately.
“Following a full investigation by the ITIA, which included evidence gathering and interviews with the player, Purcell admitted to the breaches. The player’s full co-operation and information sharing with the ITIA allowed for a 25% reduction in sanction.”
Given that time served under a voluntary provisional suspension counts towards the period of ineligibility, Purcell’s ban will end on 11 June 2026.
Purcell will forfeit results and prize money from the date of his first violation (16 December 2023) to his subsequent negative doping control sample, which was provided on 3 February 2024.
Purcell has reached career-high ATP rankings of world No 8 in doubles and 40 in singles. The 27-year-old won the Wimbledon doubles titles in 2022 and the US Open doubles title in 2024.
The 27-year-old took to Instagram to react to the news and revealed the ordeal has caused him to develop nervous tics, anxiety and issues with sleeping and eating.
“This case has been going on for months, seriously affecting my quality of life,” Purcell wrote.
“From being unable to sleep and eat properly, and refusing to be by myself, to developing nervous and anxious tics which I still currently battle day to day.
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“I couldn’t sit and enjoy anything without the thought of the case and the endless possibilities of what sanction I would receive.
“I was nothing but collaborative with the ITIA. I’m so glad this is over for me and I can move on with my life.
“The ITIA accepted that the infusion over the 100mL limit was not intentional. It’s a case completely on exceeding the allowable limit of volume for an infusion.
“All substances in the infusion were WADA approved and beyond that, it provided me with zero performance enhancing benefit.
“It was 11 days prior to my first match of the season and was also administered at a 24/7 medical facility, in a third world location after feeling unwell and fatigued from training.”
ITIA CEO Karen Moorhouse said: “This case does not involve a player testing positive for a prohibited substance but demonstrates that the anti-doping rules are broader than that.
“It also shows that the ITIA considers intelligence from a range of sources with the overriding aim to protect everyone covered by the tennis anti-doping rules, and ensure a level playing field for all.”
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