Dayana Yastremska, 20, was suspended in January after the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) found a banned substance in an out-of-competition urine sample she submitted; she has denied using performance-enhancing drugs and said the positive test was the result of a "contamination event"
Wednesday 28 April 2021 09:05, UK
Dayana Yastremska has had another application to lift her provisional suspension for a doping offence rejected.
The 20-year-old Ukrainian, who is ranked 31st, tested positive for a metabolite of synthetic testosterone in late November and was provisionally suspended on January 7 pending a full hearing into the case.
A statement from the International Tennis Federation read: "A second application by Dayana Yastremska to lift the provisional suspension imposed on her on 7 January 2021...has been denied by the chair of the Independent Tribunal convened to hear her case.
"This decision was subject to appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) by Ms Yastremska, which she chose to exercise. The CAS has denied that appeal and Ms Yastremska, therefore, remains ineligible to compete, pending the final resolution of her case."
Yastremska was controversially allowed to travel to Australia in the hope of competing in the Australian Open in February but CAS rejected her appeal.
In a statement on Twitter at the time, the Ukrainian said: "Now comes the time to defend myself about the matter of the dispute. My team and I are confident in our ability to prove my innocence as the ITF independent tribunal will hear from me, witnesses and experts."
She has denied using performance-enhancing drugs and said the positive test was the result of a "contamination event".
Yastremska has been ranked as a high as 21 and reached the fourth round of Wimbledon in 2019.
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