Tennis player cleared of doping after blaming positive test on contaminated Colombian meat

A low-ranked tennis player from Brazil was cleared in a doping case by the International Tennis Integrity Agency this week after saying his positive drug test for an anabolic steroid was caused by eating contaminated meat while he was entered in a tournament in Colombia.

The ITIA announced Thursday that Nicolas Zanellato can return to competition after sitting out for six months while he was provisionally suspended.

The group that investigates and punishes doping and corruption in tennis ruled that Zanellato "bore no fault or negligence for (the) anti-doping rule violation," based on "interviews, review of detailed documentation, and advice from independent WADA-approved scientists."

WADA, the World Anti-Doping Agency, recently ended its appeal of IATA's exoneration of Jannik Sinner by agreeing to a three-month suspension under a settlement with the Italian who is No. 1 in the ATP rankings.

The 23-year-old Zanellato reached a career-high singles ranking of No. 458 in April 2024. He has a little more than $45,000 in total career earnings from singles and doubles, according to the ATP website.

Zanellato "bore no fault or negligence for (the) anti-doping rule violation," based on "interviews, review of detailed documentation, and advice from independent WADA-approved scientists."

Zanellato tested positive for the banned substance boldenone while competing at an ATP Challenger event in Ibague, Colombia, in June 2024. Boldenone is an anabolic steroid involved in several failed tests by minor league baseball players recently.

Zanellato initially was banned in August, and an appeal of that provisional penalty was denied later that month.

The ITIA's full decision mentions that Zanellato "denied having deliberately or knowingly used boldenone and asserted that he must have ingested meat contaminated with boldenone while in Colombia, where use of boldenone as a growth promoter in cattle is common."

Zanellato "obtained further evidence and documentation" that "included detailed receipts, and information on the source of meat consumed during a number of visits to an independent restaurant outside of the tournament environment," the ITIA said.

That is why, the decision said, "The ITIA accepts the player has established that it is more likely than not that the boldenone found in his urine sample ... was due to the presence of boldenone residues in the beef that he consumed in the days and/or hours prior to collection of the sample."

Zanellato's "explanation was verified as plausible by independent scientific experts," the ITIA said.

He was cleared on Tuesday, making him immediately eligible to return to action.

A footnote on the ruling says: "For the sake of clarity, the ITIA notes that it is not automatic that a case of meat contamination (with Colombian beef or otherwise) will lead to a no fault or negligence finding."