Anti-doping rule violation
US Open winner voluntarily bans himself
12/23/2024 – 10:39 a.mReading time: 1 min.
In September, Max Purcell celebrated another great success at the US Open. The tennis professional will now no longer play an official tournament.
Australian tennis player Max Purcell has admitted an anti-doping rule violation and voluntarily submitted to an interim suspension. The International Tennis Integrity Agency (Itia) announced this in a statement.
Purcell, 26 years old, celebrated a remarkable success in doubles this year with his compatriot Jordan Thompson: together they defeated the German duo Kevin Krawietz and Tim Pütz in the final of the US Open. But now the athlete is in the spotlight for an offense related to the use of a banned method. In this regard, the Australian Tennis Association (TA) reiterated that Purcell’s violation related to a banned method and not a banned substance.
The interim ban, which Purcell himself requested, took effect on December 12, 2024. During this time he is prohibited from participating in or attending official tennis tournaments. This means: As things stand, he is also likely to miss the Australian Open in January 2025.
According to Itia, the duration of the provisional ban will be counted towards a possible subsequent final sanction.