Players don't have to fail drug tests to incur doping sanctions.

Mexican player Luis Patiño has been banned from tennis for three years for steroid possession and admitted used and attempted use of the drugs, the International Tennis Integrity Agency announced.

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Patiño's ban come despite the fact he did not fail a drug test.  He admitted using clenbuterol and stanozolol.

The ITIA said during the course of an investigation "evidence was found relating to the player’s possession of clenbuterol and stanozolol which are both Prohibited Substances."



On September 18, 2022, Patiño admitted to the possession and use / attempted use of both substances, therefore admitting that he committed Anti-Doping Rule Violations under articles 2.2 and 2.6 of the Tennis Anti-Doping Program (TADP).

The TADP provides for a one-year reduction in sanction for certain Anti-Doping Rule Violations based on early admission. Therefore, the ITIA determined that the player should be subject to a three-year period of ineligibility, reduced from four years and backdated to July 15, 2022 when the player was initially provisionally suspended.

Patiño's ban will run until July 14, 2025.

“Not all anti-doping sanctions involve a positive test and this case demonstrates the benefits of the ITIA’s integrated approach to integrity in tennis," ITIA’s Senior Director of Anti-Doping Nicole Sapstead said. "It is testament to our intelligence and investigations teams that we were able to pursue a non-analytical finding in this way and sends a clear message to anyone in the sport who is tempted to make a wrong turn that there can be repercussions, even years later.”

Photo credit: Mark Peterson/Corleve