After being in an 18-month suspension, a former World No. 8 in doubles is ready to get back in the thick of the ATP Tour. Australia’s Max Purcell is all set to enter the ATP Tour once again, with him getting a doping suspension back in December of 2024. And as a result, he decided to announce his comeback with a bold statement.

“Suspended? Nah, not anymore, man”, posted Purcell on his Instagram story, with a picture of a clock that showed the exact date and time at which his suspension ended.

Purcell’s suspension came under unique circumstances, as the Australian was not found to have tested positive for any banned substances in any of his doping tests.

However, what got him in trouble was the intake of intravenous transfusions he took before the 2024 season. The ITIA and the global doping bodies have a mixed view of IV transfusions, as they are not categorized as “performance-enhancing.” Still, there is a stipulated amount, beyond which a player is not allowed to take. That is where Purcell made his misstep, and the ITIA found him in breach of doping protocols, which led to a lengthy investigation and interviews with the player in question. The Australian consented to a provisional suspension for two years, which was later reduced to 18 months, and was formally declared by the ITIA in April last year.

Purcell’s case caused quite a bit of controversy in the tennis community, as the Australian’s case came up right about the same time as those of Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek. Fans and some experts pointed out certain discrepancies in the cases, as Sinner and Swiatek both failed doping tests. Still, their cases were categorized as “No significant fault or negligence” because they involved accidental contamination, and both players received shorter bans than Purcell’s: Sinner received a three-month ban via settlement, and Swiatek accepted a one-month ban.

Now that all legal requirements are met, Purcell will be gunning to resume his career. With Wimbledon knocking at the door, he will have a chance at clinching another Wimbledon doubles title after the suspension wrecked the Australian, who was having one of his best seasons on Tour in 2024.

Max Purcell Was Having One of The Best Phases of His Career When He Got Suspended

At the time of his suspension, Purcell was ending one of his most dominant doubles seasons in 2024. Along with Jordan Thompson, the Australian duo had a 44-12 win-loss record on doubles that year, winning four titles, one runner-up finish, and five semifinal appearances. The high point of the season for the duo was reaching successive Major finals at Wimbledon and at the US Open, and they even gained the doubles ranking of No. 8.

The Australian pair lost a very close three-set final against Harri Heliovaara and Henry Patten at Wimbledon. Still, they had a tremendous comeback at the US Open, beating the German pair of Tim Putz and Kevin Krawietz. This was the second Major for Purcell, as he had previously won the 2022 Wimbledon, partnering with Matthew Ebden. He has also reached two finals at his home Slam in Melbourne, but fell short in both 2020 and 2022.

2024 was also a breakthrough season for Purcell in singles, as he reached his first career final at Eastbourne. Coming as a qualifier, he won six matches in a row to reach the final, where he lost to Taylor Fritz. Purcell will be determined to start from where he left off as he returns from his suspension. The Australian has already shared on social media that he is in Tokyo and aiming to start his comeback at the Uchiyama Cup, which is a hard-court ITF event.