Australian tennis player Max Purcell has been suspended for 18 months by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) for violating rules on intravenous infusions. The doubles Grand Slam champion admitted to receiving infusions above the allowed limit.
Purcell, who won the U.S. Open men’s doubles in 2024 and Wimbledon in 2022, was ranked as high as No. 8 in the world for doubles. The ITIA found that in December 2023, he received infusions of more than 500 milliliters on two occasions, far above the permitted limit of 100 milliliters over 12 hours. Although the substances were not banned, the volume was.
In a statement, Purcell said he received the treatments at a 24/7 medical clinic in Bali after feeling fatigued from training. He said the infusions gave him “zero performance enhancing benefit” and that he warned the clinic staff he was an athlete and couldn’t exceed the legal limit.
The ITIA began investigating after finding text messages from Purcell to another player during a separate case. These messages revealed that Purcell had asked the clinic not to keep records of the infusions and considered pretending to be sick to justify them. He also researched whether the treatments were banned.
Purcell fully cooperated with the investigation and admitted to the violations, leading to a 25% reduction in his punishment. He also lost about $150,000 in prize money earned between December 2023 and February 2024. His suspension is retroactive, and he will be eligible to compete again on June 11, 2026. He had already asked for a provisional suspension after being notified of the possible violation in December 2024.
“This case has been going on for months, seriously affecting my quality of life,” Purcell said. “I couldn’t sleep or eat properly. I refused to be alone and developed nervous tics. I still deal with anxiety every day.”
The 27-year-old’s case has sparked debate, especially when compared to that of Jannik Sinner, the world No. 1, who tested positive twice for the banned substance Clostebol. Sinner said a massage therapist’s wound spray caused the result. He lost $325,000 and 400 ranking points but only served a three-month ban between major tournaments.
Former Australian pro John Millman criticized the system. “I think it’s shocking,” he said. “Max didn’t have a banned substance in his body. He just received too much fluid. It’s ridiculous.”
Women’s tennis has also seen recent doping controversies. World No. 2 Iga Swiatek served a one-month suspension last fall after testing positive for a banned sleep aid. She said it was taken to help with jet lag.
Former world No. 1 Simona Halep received a four-year ban in 2023 for a doping violation. She later said her positive test was due to contamination and that her blood tests were clean. “They judged me on scenarios,” Halep said. Her suspension was later reduced, but she retired in February after struggling with injuries.
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