The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) today confirms that Tsao Chia-yi, a tennis player from Chinese Taipei, has elected to enter into a voluntary provisional suspension under the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme (TADP).
The ITIA sent the player a pre-charge notice of an Anti-Doping Rule Violation on 20 February 2025 under Article 2.1 of the TADP (presence of a Prohibited Substance in a Player’s Sample) and/or Article 2.2 (Use of a Prohibited Substance without a valid Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE)).
21-year-old Tsao, who reached a career-high world doubles ranking of 115 in August 2024, provided an in-competition sample while competing in the WTA ASB Classic event in Auckland, New Zealand, on 1 January 2025.
The sample was split into A and B samples and the subsequent analysis found that the A sample contained methylephedrine, which is prohibited under the TADP, in the category of Stimulants (section S6.B of the 2025 World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List).
Methylephedrine is a Specified Substance, and Tsao did not possess a valid TUE for the substance. While Specified substances do not carry a mandatory provisional suspension, Tsao elected to enter into provisional suspension on 1 March 2025. Time served under provisional suspension will be credited against any future sanction.
During the provisional suspension, Tsao is prohibited from playing in, coaching at, or attending any tennis event authorised or sanctioned by the members of the ITIA (ATP, ITF, WTA, Tennis Australia, Fédération Française de Tennis, Wimbledon and USTA) or any national association.
The ITIA is an independent body established by its tennis members to promote, encourage, enhance, and safeguard the integrity of their professional tennis events.
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Published 12 March 2025 14:00
