Yastremska at “no fault” for positive drugs test, free to return to WTA Tour

Dayana Yastremska is free to play again on the WTA Tour after she an independent tribunal found she “bore no fault or negligence” for recording a positive drugs test.

The 20-year-old from Ukraine, ranked No 37, tested positive for a metabolite of mesterolone, an anabolic steroid, in an out of competition test in November, 2020.

Yastremska said in January that she felt it was “some form of contamination event” and on Tuesday, the International Tennis Federation said she was free to continue.

“Following a hearing, the Independent Tribunal accepted Ms. Yastremska’s account of how the mesterolone entered her system and determined that she bore No Fault or Negligence for the violation within the meaning of Programme Article 10.5,” the ITF said in a statement.

“Where a finding of No Fault or Negligence is made, Programme Article 10.5 provides that any otherwise applicable period of Ineligibility shall be eliminated entirely. Therefore, Ms. Yastremska’s provisional suspension is lifted with immediate effect, and she will not serve any period of Ineligibility for her violation. For the avoidance of doubt, Ms. Yastremska is eligible to resume competition immediately.”

Yastremska reached the fourth round at Wimbledon last year but is set to miss this year’s Championships, having appeared on the list of withdrawals on Monday.