Nicolas Jarry Gets 11-Month Doping Ban

(April 20, 2020) Nicolas Jarry was given an 11-month doping ban by the International Tennis Federation. The suspension stems from a test the 24-year-old Chilean failed at the Davis Cup Finals last November. His suspension will be on hold as the tennis tour is on hold due the coronavirus pandemic. As of this writing, the tennis tour is suspended until July 13.

Jarry said in a statement that he accepted the punishment, noting that the two banned substances found in his test came from vitamins made in Brazil.

Here is the official statement from the ITF:

Decision in the case of Nicolas Jarry

A decision has been issued under the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme (the “Programme”) that Nicolas Jarry has committed an Anti-Doping Rule Violation under Article 2.1. That decision imposed a period of ineligibility of eleven months, commencing on 16 December 2019.

 

Mr. Jarry, a 24-year-old player from Chile, provided a urine sample on 19 November 2019 in association with his participation in the Davis Cup Finals, held in Madrid from 18 to 24 November 2019 (the “Event”). That sample was sent to the World Anti-Doping Agency (“WADA”) accredited laboratory in Montreal, Canada for analysis, and was found to contain metabolites of SARM LGD-4033 (ligandrol) and stanozolol. SARM LGD-4033 and stanozolol are Non-Specified substances, which are prohibited under category S1 of the 2019 WADA Prohibited List (Anabolic Agents), and therefore are also prohibited under the Programme.

 

Mr. Jarry was charged with an Anti-Doping Rule Violation under Article 2.1 of the Programme (presence of a Prohibited Substance in a Player’s Sample) on 4 January 2020 and was provisionally suspended on 14 January 2020. The ITF accepted Mr. Jarry’s explanation as to how the SARM LGD-4033 and stanozolol entered his system and that he bore No Significant Fault or Negligence for his violation. Mr. Jarry was entitled to have his period of ineligibility back-dated to start on the date of last occurrence of his violation.

 

This is Mr. Jarry’s first Anti-Doping Rule Violation. The decision determines that: (1) Mr. Jarry has committed a violation of the Programme; (2) he must serve a period of ineligibility of eleven months; and (3) that period of ineligibility is back-dated to start on 16 December 2019, and so ending at midnight on 15 November 2020. In accordance with Programme articles 9.1 and 10.8, all ranking points and prize money obtained by Mr. Jarry at the Event and subsequent events are disqualified.

 

Important note: It is apparent that the consumption of bespoke supplements, in particular those made in compound pharmacies in South America, carries with it a significant degree of risk for sportsmen and women who are subject to anti-doping rules, and the escalating bans that have been imposed on tennis players for such violations have not been adequate to deter other players from taking those risks. The ITF (i) urges all players to exercise extreme caution in considering whether to use supplements; and (ii) warns that any TADP violation that results from the ingestion of contaminated supplements will likely lead to a significant period of ineligibility.