By James Waterson Photo Credit: Tony Chang
(July 29, 2011) American tennis player Robert Kendrick has been banned from the ATP Tour for one year for testing positive for a stimulant, according to an International Tennis Federation press release.
The 31-year-old Kendrick, who turned pro in 2000 and reached a career high ranking of No. 69 in 2009, provided a sample to the ITF on May 22 at the French Open, and the substance, a stimulant, was detected.
Methylhexaneamine is a prohibited substance under section S6 of the 2010 WADA List of Prohibited Substances and Prohibited Methods, and is therefore also prohibited under the Tennis Anti-Doping Program, according to the ITF. The American was then charged with violating the anti-doping rule under Article C.1 of the program.
Kendrick, now ranked No. 105, claimed the substance got into his system after he took a capsule of Zija XM3 to combat jet lag, and that he had no intention to enhance his performance by taking the pill.
According to the press release, the ITF accepted his account of how he ingested the substance and that he had no intent to enhance his performance.
But they still charged him with violating the rule because “it is a player’s strict personal duty to ensure that no Prohibited Substance enters his body, whether as a prescription medication or otherwise, unless he holds a valid therapeutic use exemption (TUE) for such substance,” the press release read.
A tribunal decided that Kendrick would be suspended from participating in ATP tour tournaments for 12 months, starting from May 22, the day the sample was taken.
They also decided that the American’s results at the 2011 French Open, where he lost to Guillermo Garcia-Lopez in the first round, and all tournaments after would be disqualified and all prize money returned.
That means he will lose the 10 ranking points he earned at the French Open as well as $27,198.62.
Methylhexaneamine has shown up in several doping cases in recent months. Two Rubgy players from South Africa tested positive for the substance, as well as 12 Indian athletes last year.