By Alberto Amalfi | @Tennis_Now | Friday, November 3, 2023

Stefano Battaglino has been suspended from tennis for four years after testing positive for a banned steroid.

The 25-year-old Italian provided a urine sample at an M15 tournament in Morocco in September of 2022, which was found to contain metabolites of clostebol. Clostebol—an anabolic androgenic steroid—is banned under Section S1 of the World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List. Testing positive for clostebol carries a mandatory provisional suspension.

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Battaglino, who has been suspended since February of 2023, requested a hearing before an independent tribunal convened by Sport Resolutions. The hearing was held remotely in October 2023.

The former world No. 760 argued that his violation was unintentional and that his sanction should be further reduced on grounds of no fault or negligence or no significant fault or negligence.

However, the independent tribunal determined that Battaglino did not prove the source of the clostebol and therefore found that the anti-doping rule violations were intentional.

Consequently, the tribunal found he was not eligible for any reductions below the presumptive four-year sanction.



Battaglino’s suspension runs from February 1, 2023 until midnight of January 31st, 2027, the International Tennis Integrity Agency announced. The player’s results from the date of the positive test are also to be disqualified, with forfeiture of ranking points and prize money.

During the sanction period, Battaglino is prohibited from playing in, coaching at, or attending any tennis event authorized or sanctioned by the members of the ITIA (ATP, ITF, WTA, Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon and US Open) or any national association.

Photo credit: Mark Peterson/Corleve