Former No.1 tennis star banned for four years and ordered to hand back prize money

Former Australian men's No. 1 tennis player Marinko Matosevic has been handed a four-year ban by the International Tennis Integrity Agency for doping violations. The 40-year-old hit out at the ITIA six weeks ago, branding the organisation "corrupt."

Matosevic turned pro in 2003, but his breakthrough came nine years later, when he was named the ATP's 'Most Improved' for 2012 and became his country's top-ranked male player and world No. 39 soon after. He retired from playing in 2018 to focus on coaching but an independent tribunal has determined that Matosevic committed five anti-doping rule violations between 2018 and 2020.

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These violations included the use of a prohibited method through blood doping while he was an active player, facilitating another player to blood dope and providing advice to players on how to avoid positive tests.

He denied all charges throughout the process but admitted to one blood doping charge on social media not long before his hearing was due to take place. Independent tribunal chair Michael Heron KC said that the Australian star's actions "went far beyond passive association and constitute intentional participation."

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Matosevic was formally charged in May 2025, with ITIA investigations beginning in 2024. As he denied the charges, the case was referred to an independent tribunal, which upheld the charges on March 16, 2026, with one single charge for possession and use of clenbuterol pre-dating 2020 being dismissed.

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Now, his results and prize money from two tournaments, the Morelos and Indian Wells ATP Challenger events in February 2018, have been disqualified. His suspension will end on March 15 2030, subject to repayment of outstanding prize money.

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Matosevic is banned from playing in, coaching at, or attending any tennis event or activity authorised or sanctioned by the ITIA. These include the ATP, ITF, WTA, Wimbledon and a host of other bodies. Weeks before this verdict was reached, Matosevic lashed out in a statement about his perception of how the ITIA had handled his case. The tribunal dismissed these allegations.

"I am writing this confession letter firstly to warn other athletes against doing anything that may harm their health and put their lives at risk," Matosevic said in a statement. "Because there is a long life after an athlete's career. Secondly, I am writing this letter to let the tennis world know how corrupt and unjust the ITIA process is.

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"They take your phone number under threatening circumstances and make legal cases over photos and text message assumptions that are literally five years old. The whole process is corrupt and lacks credibility, as we have seen over the last few years!"

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