Doping continues to be a major and common problem in tennis, as two more players have received sanctions for the offense. Both the players involved are relatively young and have been suspended by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) for breaching the anti-doping rules.

Firstly, American player Salma Ewing has been provisionally suspended. She tested positive for amphetamine during a test at a World Tennis Tour event in San Diego on July 1, 2026. The substance is strictly prohibited, and thus, the 26-year-old couldn’t avoid a provisional suspension. The suspension came into effect on August 20. Though Ewing has the right to object, she hasn’t done so to date. It is yet to be decided how long her suspension will last.

On the other hand, Argentina’s Romeo Arcuschin has been suspended for 20 months for breaching the same rules. Having reached a career-high singles ranking of 1802 in November 2025, the 19-year-old had been provisionally suspended since February 16 after testing positive for two prohibited substances, stanozolol and clomiphene.

The tests were carried out at a World Tennis Tour event in Lima, Peru, in December 2025. Though Arcuschin accepted the presence of both substances, he and the ITIA didn’t reach an agreement on the degree of fault. So, the case was referred to an independent tribunal instead, which has now suspended Arcuschin.

A hearing was held on August 11, where the tribunal came to the conclusion that Arcuschin had taken the substances following a period of injury and rehabilitation. He had consulted an experienced sports doctor, who had advised him to take medications containing both stanozolol and clomiphene. As a result, Arcuschin unintentionally ingested the prohibited substances.

The tribunal also found that the doctor hadn’t informed Arcuschin of the substances that the medicines contained. Due to this, the player’s level of fault was reduced, and thus, he was handed a sanction of less than two years. The punishment would have been way more severe if the Argentine had knowingly ingested the banned substances. Arcuschin’s sanction will conclude on October 17, 2027.

Until they are sanctioned, neither Ewing nor Arcuschin is allowed to play, coach, or attend any events organized or sanctioned by World Tennis, WTA, ATP, the Grand Slams, or any national association. These sanctions will undoubtedly stain their resume and their images will also be severely tarnished. Though both Ewing and Arcuschin are still young and have ample time to regroup and come back strong, it won’t be an easy task, to say the least.

Notably, the two of them aren’t the only players to face doping bans this year. In fact, a former Wimbledon champion shockingly got banned for four years because of the same offence earlier this year in June.

Marketa Vondrousova was banned for four years after refusing a doping test

The 2023 Wimbledon champion won’t be in action for a long time as she has been banned until 2030 for refusing to take part in the scheduled anti-doping test. The ban was declared by the ITIA, but unlike the other cases, they didn’t enforce it because Vondrousova had ingested a banned substance.

Instead, the sanction had to do with the system of protocols via which the anti-doping tests are operated. Vondrousova had previously refused to give her sample for random testing, claiming that the person who had approached her for collection had done so outside the time period that had been pre-set. She didn’t grant the person access to her home, and this is where the situation erupted.

But Vondrousova’s explanations didn’t hold up as the ITIA still decided to enforce the four-year ban. They also defended their actions, stating that all collection agents hold the necessary credentials and are well-trained in collecting the players’ samples without harming them.

“Unpredictable testing is an essential tool to protect clean sport,” said ITIA’s CEO, Karen Moorhouse, in the official ITIA statement. “The independent tribunal ultimately supported that principle. This case is an important reminder that players can be tested at any time, in any place, and that refusal comes with significant risk.”

At the time of her suspension, Vondrousova had won three titles on the WTA Tour, including the Wimbledon Championships in 2023. The Czech also reached the final of the 2019 French Open, but was defeated by Ashleigh Barty. Ranked as high as No. 6, Vondrousova was seen as the future of Czech tennis at one stage, but it is safe to say that things have now taken quite a turn for her.