33-year-old Slovak Andrej Martin has been banned from participating in competitive tennis for 14 months. The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) took the decision following an investigation by an independent panel of Sport Resolutions. The panel’s investigation came to the conclusion that Martin had the breached the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme (TADP). This comes on the back of the high-profile suspension of 2-time Grand Slam title winner Simona Halep.

Martin’s breach came at the 2022 Bratislava Open. Following his test, the results revealed traces of a banned substance in his sample. A month after the ITIA detected the breach, it enforced a Provisional Suspension on Martin. The Slovak attended his formal hearing in March this year.

SARM S-22, the root cause of 14-month ban enforced on Andrej Martin

Martin’s sample’s analysis following his 2022 Bratislava Open test revealed the presence of SARM S-22 in his body. According to the latest statement released by the ITIA, SARM S-22 is a banned anabolic agent under the 2022 World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List’s Section S1.2.

During Martin’s hearing, he stated that he did not consume the banned agent deliberately. According to Martin, the agent made its way into his body after he accidentally used a teammate’s water bottle for drinking during a floorball tournament. The tournament was a four-day affair during the first week of June 2022. Following initial investigation, the ITIA handed out a Provisional Suspension for the Slovak.

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The hearing also featured Martin’s teammate, who admitted to adding SARM S-22 to his bottle of water, which Martin later consumed accidentally. The tribunal considered the Slovak’s statement plausible, and the ruling was that Martin’s actions came under the umbrella of Negligence or No Significant Fault.

14-month ineligibility period appropriate, according to tribunal

Based on the investigation, the tribunal came to the conclusion that Martin’s 14-month ban is appropriate. It also announced that the ban would lead to the disqualification of every result of Martin that he registered since the test’s date in 2022.

Martin also admitted to violating the Provisional Suspension through participation in several floorball and triathlon events. These violations directly breached TADP’s Article 10.14.1. The ban will be valid until June 5, 2024. For former World No. 93 Martin, it’s going to be a long wait before he can make his tennis comeback.

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