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Tara Moore’s Four-Year Doping Ban Reinstated Amid System Criticism

Tara Moore’s four-year doping ban is reinstated despite prior clearance, exposing flaws in tennis’ anti-doping system.

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Tara Moore has had her four-year suspension for doping upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), overturning a prior ruling that cleared her of wrongdoing. The British doubles player had tested positive in April 2022 for anabolic steroids Boldenone and Nandrolone during a WTA 250 event in Bogota, Colombia. Moore has consistently claimed her positive test was due to contaminated meat, a defense supported by the Colombian Olympic Committee and tennis figures such as Judy Murray and Darren Cahill.

An independent tribunal had cleared Moore in December 2023, concluding the contamination was likely from meat consumption. However, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) appealed, citing the high concentration of Nandrolone found in Moore’s sample, which exceeded the allowable threshold by a large margin.

ITIA CEO Karen Moorhouse stated, “Our bar for appealing a first instance decision is high, and the decision is not taken lightly. In this case, our independent scientific advice was that the player did not adequately explain the high level of Nandrolone present in their sample. Today’s ruling is consistent with this position.”

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Moore has expressed profound frustration with the anti-doping system, describing it as “broken” and has been vocal about the inconsistencies in doping cases involving elite players such as Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek. She has played a role in establishing the Athlete Counsel & Equity Program with the Professional Tennis Players Association (PTPA) to provide pro bono legal support for players facing anti-doping and anti-corruption allegations.

Reflecting on her ordeal, Moore wrote on social media, “The last three and a half years have broken me to pieces. I don’t need a panel to tell me I’m innocent. I know the integrity I bring and I know I am innocent. I believe everyone over the last couple of years can see how subjective this process is.”

Ranked No. 864 in singles and 187 in doubles at age 32, Moore returned to competition in April 2024 after a provisional suspension and a GoFundMe effort to rebuild her career. Her case highlights ongoing challenges within tennis’s anti-doping system and the difficulties faced by players contesting violations.

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Jannik Sinner Reinstates Umberto Ferrara as Fitness Coach Following Recent Team Changes

Jannik Sinner rehired coach Umberto Ferrara after reshuffling his team amid doping case fallout.

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Jannik Sinner, the Wimbledon champion, has reinstated Umberto Ferrara as his fitness coach almost a year after dismissing him amid a doping investigation. This adjustment in his coaching team comes shortly after Sinner parted ways with fitness coach Marco Panichi and physiotherapist Ulises Badio.

A spokesperson for Sinner’s team stated, “Umberto has played an important role in Jannik’s development to date, and his return reflects a renewed focus on continuity and performance at the highest level.”

Sinner’s doping case centers on two positive tests last March for trace amounts of an anabolic steroid, Clostebol. The situation surfaced publicly only in August, days before the US Open, which Sinner subsequently won, marking his second title among four Grand Slams.

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Sinner was initially cleared after establishing that exposure was accidental. The defense revealed that Ferrara had procured a topical product in Italy and handed it to then-physiotherapist Giacomo Naldi to treat a finger cut. Naldi allegedly administered treatment to Sinner without gloves, resulting in contamination.

Following these revelations, Sinner dismissed both Naldi and Ferrara. Ferrara later temporarily joined Matteo Berrettini’s team. However, after the World Anti-Doping Agency appealed the initial clearance, Sinner accepted a three-month suspension which concluded just before the Italian Open in May of the current year.

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