By Richard Pagliaro | Tuesday, March 17, 2026
Picture credit score: Keith Allison/Wikimedia Commons
Marinko Matosevic has been hit with a four-year ban from tennis for committing a number of doping violations.
Former world No. 39 Matosevic “dedicated 5 anti-doping rule violations between 2018 and 2020, together with use of a prohibited methodology via blood doping (whereas an energetic participant) and facilitating one other participant to blood dope, offering recommendation to different gamers on how you can keep away from optimistic exams, and use and possession of the prohibited substance clenbuterol,” the Worldwide Integrity Company introduced.
In consequence, Matosevic, who has earned greater than $2 Million in profession prize cash, has been banned.
The 40-year-old Aussie denied all prices all through the method “till admitting to blood doping in media feedback shortly earlier than the listening to was scheduled to happen,” the ITIA mentioned.
In his final match on the Indian Wells Problem final month, Matosevic suffered a 6-4, 6-4 loss to Christian Harrison. Matosevic’s suspension will finish on March fifteenth, 2030, topic to compensation of excellent prize cash.
Matosevic has frolicked teaching compatriots Jordan Thompson and Chris O’Connell, nevertheless the ban prohibits him from taking part in or teaching in any skilled tennis occasion.
Right here’s extra particulars from the ITIA’s information announcement on the case:
In 2024, ITIA investigations uncovered compelling proof of potential rule violations by Matosevic. On 15 Could 2025, the ITIA formally charged Matosevic. Matosevic denied the costs, and so the case was referred to an impartial tribunal to find out legal responsibility and sanction.
A listening to was scheduled to happen by way of video convention on 9 February 2026. Within the weeks previous the listening to, Matosevic ceased to interact with the arbitration course of, earlier than issuing a press release by way of media, making an admission to at least one blood doping cost. Matosevic elected to not attend the listening to regardless of a number of notifications, and the listening to came about as scheduled.
On 16 March 2026, the impartial tribunal chaired by Michael Heron KC upheld the above prices, issuing Matosevic with a four-year suspension, efficient from the date of the written resolution. One single cost for possession and use of clenbuterol pre-dating 2020 was dismissed by the impartial tribunal attributable to lack of proof, although it was famous to be seemingly.
Matosevic’s outcomes and prize cash from the Morelos and Indian Wells ATP Challenger occasions in February 2018, across the time of the blood doping violation, have additionally been disqualified.
