Professional tennis player Goncalo Oliveira has been handed a four-year suspension following a failed drug test. The 30-year-old athlete tested positive for methamphetamine during the Manzanillo Open in Mexico last November.
The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) revealed that Oliveira attributed his positive result to potential contamination through kissing or environmental factors. However, an independent tribunal concluded that there was insufficient evidence to support this claim.
In an official announcement, the ITIA stated that all results, prize money, and ranking points earned by Oliveira from the event of the positive test onwards would be forfeited. Oliveira, who represents Venezuela despite being born in Portugal, was provisionally suspended in January.
After being notified of a possible breach of anti-doping rules, Oliveira provided his defense. He recounted an encounter with a woman at a bar where they shared kisses, unaware that she had consumed drugs. Oliveira emphasized the possibility of accidental contamination through contact with the woman.
Following a hearing before an independent tribunal in London in September, Oliveira was given a suspension until January 16, 2029, with the ban already in effect this year. Throughout his period of ineligibility, the tennis player is prohibited from participating in, coaching, or attending any ITIA-sanctioned events.
Oliveira, who once held a ranking of No. 194 in the world in 2017, has since dropped to No. 460. Despite winning 18 titles on lower-level tours, he has not competed in a Grand Slam event. In 2018, Oliveira made a strong bid to qualify for the French Open but was defeated by Bernard Tomic. Additionally, he participated in the qualifying rounds of Wimbledon in 2018 and the Australian Open in 2024.