Main Substance Categories

There are five main categories of drugs that are prohibited from tennis and all sports:

Anabolic steroids, which can help athletes build muscle and aids faster recovery

Peptide hormones, which produce similar effects to anabolic steroids

Beta-2 Agonists, which can relax the muscle surrounding the lungs allowing more air to enter the lungs

Stimulants, which raise the heart rate and may improve performance

Diuretics, which help the body to lose fluids and are often used to mask the presence of other drugs

In addition to these, local anaesthetics, cortico-steroids used to treat medical conditions such as asthma, and beta-blockers used to treat heart conditions, are subject to restrictions on their use. 

The up-to-date prohibited list is hosted by the Word Anti-Doping Agency:

Visit WADA

Check medications or supplements

Any player who consumes a dietary supplement does so at their own risk. Players who consume supplements may inadvertently consume prohibited substances and therefore be subject to sanctions under the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme.

It is the responsibility of the player to undertake their own research concerning the use of supplements.

The ITIA does not recommend any supplements. Any player who consumes a dietary supplement does so at their own risk. Players who consume supplements may inadvertently consume prohibited substances and therefore be subject to sanctions under the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme

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Protect the sport

Make the right call - if you are worried that corruption or doping may be taking place, share your concerns with us.