The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) today confirms that Romanian tennis player Irina Fetecău has been suspended for a period of 10 months following a breach of the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme (TADP). 29-year-old Fetecău reached a career-high world singles ranking of 207 in December 2021.
An independent tribunal issued a ruling of No Significant Fault or Negligence in the case of Fetecău, who tested positive for the prohibited substance 4-Methylpentan-2-amine, a stimulant, after consuming a contaminated pre-workout ‘Gorillalpha Yeti Juice’ supplement.
The ITIA sent the player a pre-charge notice of an Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV) on 24 May 2024 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)).
Fetecău, who reached a career-high world singles ranking of 207 in December 2021, provided an in-competition sample while competing in an ITF World Tennis Tour event in Florianópolis, Brazil, in April 2024.
The sample was split into A and B samples and the subsequent analysis found both samples contained the substance, which is prohibited under the TADP, in the category of Stimulants (section S6.B of the 2024 World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List).
Fetecău did not possess a valid TUE for the substance. Specified Substances do not require a mandatory provisional suspension, and so the player continued to compete while a full investigation took place.
In August 2024, Fetecău notified the ITIA that they had identified a contaminated supplement as the source of the stimulant found in their sample, through independent testing at a WADA-accredited laboratory in Seibersdorf, Austria. These findings were reviewed by the ITIA, and the scenario was verified by an independent scientific expert as plausible.
While Fetecău admitted the ADRV, the player disputed the ITIA’s proposed sanction of 12 months. As such, the case was referred to an independent tribunal chair to determine the appropriate sanction.
A hearing was held via video conference on 3 April 2025, from which the independent tribunal issued a ruling of No Significant Fault or Negligence and a 10-month suspension, noting that the player had taken some mitigating steps to reduce risk of an ADRV, including consulting a qualified sports physician.
However, it was also noted by the tribunal that there was distinctly elevated risk in using the Gorillalpha Yeti Juice supplement, which is not designed for use in professional sport, and the player had received recent anti-doping education on the subject of supplement contamination.
Results, prize money and ranking points from the event in which the player tested positive are forfeited, but no further events are disqualified.
As the player did not elect to enter into a voluntary provisional suspension, their period ineligibility is effective from the date of the written decision, 25 April 2025, and will end on 24 February 2026.
During the period of ineligibility, Fetecău 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.
To read the decision in full, click here.
Ends
Published 12 May 2025 12:00
