American Tennis Pro Among Two Provisionally Suspended by ITIA Over Latest Clostebol Cases

KYIV, UKRAINE – SEPTEMBER 7, 2021: Sebastian BAEZ of Argentina shows the ball mark on a clay court during ATP Challenger Kyiv Open game against Illya BELOBORODKO of Ukraine at Kyiv Tennis Park in Kyiv

In humans, among the legitimate therapeutic indications of anabolic steroids, clostebol acetate is approved for topical use in dermatological and ophthalmological preparations. Experts have also noted that esterification on the 17 position allows oral use by protecting the compound from extensive first-pass metabolism.

The drug has additionally been used in cattle to improve animal growth, further highlighting its anabolic properties. Because of those effects, both the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in the past and today the WADA have continued to include clostebol and other AAS substances on the annually updated prohibited list in sports.

The same drug previously sparked headlines in baseball when Fernando Tatis Jr. of the San Diego Padres tested positive and later received an 80-game suspension from MLB. The controversy surrounding clostebol has therefore continued to stretch across multiple sports over the years.

In tennis, the substance became widely discussed after Jannik Sinner tested positive in March 2024. His March 10, 2024, sample contained 86 picograms/liter, while the March 18 sample contained 76pg/liter, creating massive debate throughout the tennis world.

Ozolins and Kakhniuk still have the right to appeal their provisional suspensions. However, as of May 12, neither player had filed an appeal against the ruling announced by the ITIA.

As with all Tennis Anti-Doping Programme cases, ITIA support remains available to both players. That includes pro-bono legal aid, independent wellbeing support, and financial assistance aimed at helping investigate the source of positive findings.

While suspended, both players are barred from playing in, coaching at, or even attending events organized or sanctioned by the ITF, WTA, ATP, the Grand Slams, or any national association.

While their suspensions have been active since April 14, 2026, Ozolins and Kakhniuk are far from the only ATP players who have faced suspensions linked to the same banned substances in the past.

Stefano Battaglino handed a four-year suspension after testing positive for clostebol

On March 7, 2023, ITIA issued Italian player Stefano Battaglino with a Notice of Charge for committing Anti-Doping Rule Violations (ADRVs). The charges were linked to the presence and use of a ‘Prohibited Substance’ after clostebol metabolites were discovered in an in-competition urine sample.

The sample had been collected on September 14, 2022, during the WTT M15 tournament held in Casablanca, Morocco. The finding immediately placed Battaglino under investigation as tennis authorities continued tightening anti-doping controls across lower-tier events.

Although both Battaglino and Jannik Sinner tested positive for the same banned substance, their cases ended very differently. Both players maintained that they were innocent, yet the outcomes created intense debate throughout the tennis world.

Battaglino’s appeal was rejected, and he has remained provisionally suspended since February 2023. At the time of the incident, the Italian player was ranked No. 760 in the world rankings.

Battaglino argued that the positive test result came from accidental contamination during a massage provided by his physiotherapist. According to his defense, the prohibited substance entered his system unintentionally rather than through deliberate use.

However, the case took a serious turn because his legal team could not establish contact with the physiotherapist involved. Without that testimony or supporting evidence, the independent tribunal ruled that Battaglino failed to prove the contamination claim.

The tribunal ultimately determined that the violation was intentional. That conclusion resulted in a harsh four-year suspension, dealing a crushing blow to the Italian player’s professional career.

Battaglino later appealed the decision before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). However, the CAS dismissed his appeal after deciding that his arguments were not strong enough to classify the positive test as involuntary.

As a result, Battaglino must now serve the full duration of his punishment. His suspension officially runs from February 2023 until January 31, 2027.

The controversy surrounding clostebol has also affected junior players in recent years. Matilde Paoletti and Mariano Tammaro, both just 17 years old at the time, tested positive for clostebol in 2021 while the ITF still managed anti-doping cases. Both players received mandatory provisional suspensions because their results were classified as AAFs.

Neither Paoletti nor Tammaro carried anywhere near the global recognition of Sinner, whose case emerged shortly after a significant ruling against the ITIA by the CAS.

Now, with fresh provisional suspensions involving Karlis Ozolins and Daniil Kakhniuk, tennis is once again shaken by another wave of clostebol-related controversy and player bans.

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