A Tennis player has been given a four-year suspension by the International Tennis Integrity Agency after explaining his failed drug test in a rather peculiar way. Goncalo Oliveira, a 30-year-old player, tested positive for methamphetamine during an ATP Challenger event in Manzanillo, Mexico in November last year. Both his A and B samples confirmed the presence of the drug, leading to a provisional suspension in January.
Oliveira, who hails from Portugal but represents Venezuela, attributed his failed test to a kiss. According to reports, he claimed that a woman he kissed, whose identity remains undisclosed, had consumed a pill that made her feel euphoric, energetic, and joyful. The player insisted that the drug could have entered his system through the kiss. However, an independent tribunal dismissed this explanation and upheld the four-year ban, citing a lack of evidence to support Oliveira’s claim.
Despite reaching a career-high ranking of 77 in doubles events, Oliveira’s professional tennis career has been put on hold until January 2029 due to the suspension. The player’s attempt to justify his failed drug test with a kiss may have seemed unconventional, but it ultimately did not sway the tribunal’s decision. It remains to be seen how Oliveira will navigate his career post-suspension, with the hopes of returning to the court in the distant future.
