Back in August, during the qualifying at the US Open, Facundo Bagnis received his anti-doping test. Confident that the results would come back clear, the former world no. 55 did provide an in-competition sample. But now, with the results in hand, even Bagnis feels it’s better to temporarily step down.  

Taking to his X account on Friday, reporter Michal Samulski wrote, “ITIA today confirms that Facundo Bagnis has elected to enter into a voluntary provisional suspension under the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme.” 

As it turns out, the sample that the 35-year-old Argentine provided tested positive for hydrochlorothiazide, a diuretic categorized under section S5 of the 2025 WADA Prohibited List. By early October, he had already received a pre-charge notice for an Anti-Doping Rule Violation. Now, as the ITIA detailed in its statement, Bagnis had no Therapeutic Use Exemption for the substance. While “Specified substances” like this one don’t automatically trigger a suspension, he chose to accept a voluntary provisional suspension on October 18. “Time served under provisional suspension will be credited against any future sanction,” the ITIA noted.

For now, while serving the suspension, the current world No. 401 cannot compete, coach, or attend any tournaments sanctioned by the ATP, WTA, ITF, or any Grand Slam body.

It’s hard to sit back from any tennis-related activity for a player who has pushed through injuries and mid-tournament retirements at events like San Miguel de Tucumán and Barranquilla. After reaching his second ATP final late in 2024, he spent much of this year battling through the lower-tier circuit, still determined to rebuild his ranking.

The 2025 campaign itself had been an uphill grind. Starting the year near world No. 400, Bagnis put together a 17-12 record across Challengers and qualifiers, even cracking the main draw at the National Bank Open. His most memorable moment came in Montreal, where he defeated Vasek Pospisil in the Canadian’s emotional farewell match.

 The news came at a low point in his season: his loss in the U.S. Open qualifiers had marked a sixth straight failure to reach a Grand Slam main draw.

He last suited up at the Challenger in Antofagasta, Chile, reaching the round of 16 on October 2 after beating Francesco Maestrelli in the opening round. His run ended abruptly with a walkover before his next match could begin.

The ITIA notice landed like a gut punch, but the veteran maintains he has “never knowingly taken any banned substance,” and notably, this is his first such suspension. The player is now cooperating fully with investigators as he works to clear his name.

Facundo Bagnis opens up about his ban by the ITIA

Following the ITIA’s announcement, Bagnis turned to social media to share his side of the story. In a heartfelt post, the Argentine denied ever taking any banned substance and said he’s working with a team of lawyers and a medical toxicologist to build his defense around possible cross-contamination. He called the situation “one of the worst moments of my professional career.”

“I want to be clear, I’ve never knowingly taken anything prohibited, that’s why I’m confident in my innocence and that the truth will come to light and reveal a fair outcome,” Bagnis wrote on Instagram.

“The news has taken me completely by surprise,” he added. “Since the beginning, I have cooperated with the ITIA and been completely and totally transparent in order to clear everything up as quickly as possible. Additionally, I have chosen to accept a voluntary provisional suspension in order to dedicate my full attention to this process and to demonstrate that I have nothing to hide.”