London: Two tennis players – one of England and the other Spanish – were banned for different durations and separate offences, the tennis Integrity Unit (TIU) announced here late Tuesday evening.
Great Britain’s Dan Evans was hit with a one-year suspension after testing positive for cocaine in April while Spanish player Samuel Ribeiro Navarrete was given an eight-month ban and fined $1,000 for ‘betting-related corruption offences’.
Evans, ranked 108th, failed the drug test at the Barcelona Open in April and went public with the result at an emotional press conference in June. The 27-year-old’s ban however, has been backdated and he will be eligible to play again, April 24 next year.
“A sample was found to contain cocaine and its metabolite,” a statement from the International Tennis Federation read. “It was agreed that a period of one year’s ineligibility should be imposed, commencing 24 April 2017.
“The ITF accepted Mr. Evans’ account of how the cocaine got into his system and that he bears no significant fault or negligence for the violation,” the statement added.
Evans, speaking via his agent, vowed to return to action after the ban. “I want to thank everyone who has supported me throughout this difficult period,” Evans said. “I am determined to return to the sport I love and compete at the level I know I can in the not too distant future.”
Cocaine is only banned in competition and Evans insisted he didn’t take it during the tournament. Martina Hingis received a two-year suspension for a similar offence in 2007, when she failed a drugs test at Wimbledon.
Meanwhile the TIU said an investigation had found the player made 28 bets on matches between January and March 2013, although none of the bets related to matches in which he played.
Navarrete, 24, has a career-high singles ranking of 723, which he reached in July 2016.