By Richard Pagliaro | @TennisNow | Friday, February 21, 2025
Photograph credit score: Corleve/Mark Peterson
Dangerous beef is the important thing to setting Nicolas Zanellato free from provisional suspension.
World No. 754 Zanelatto, who has been serving a provisional suspension since final August after failing a doping take a look at, is eligible to return to play instantly after proving his constructive take a look at for boldenone got here from ingesting contaminated Colombian beef.
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Following an investigation, which included interviews, assessment of detailed documentation, and recommendation from impartial WADA-approved scientists, the Worldwide Tennis Integrity Company discovered that Zanellato “bore No Fault or Negligence for [his] Anti-Doping Rule Violation.”
Zanellato, who reached a career-high world singles rating of 458 in April 2024, offered an in-competition pattern whereas competing in an ATP Challenger occasion in Ibagué, Colombia, on June twenty fifth, 2024.
Boldenone, a banned steroid, is often used within the Colombian cattle business to advertise progress in animals earlier than slaughter. Boldenone is authorized in Colombia, which is the place Zanellato ate the contaminated beef in a restaurant.
Zanellato was provisionally suspended since August twelfth, 2024, having unsuccessfully appealed his case earlier than an impartial tribunal chair on August twenty second.
Since then, Zanellato subsequently obtained additional proof and documentation in assist of his case. That proof “included detailed receipts, and data on the supply of meat consumed throughout quite a few visits to an impartial restaurant outdoors of the event surroundings,” the ITIA mentioned.
The ITIA performed its personal parallel investigation into the case, and concluded “the reason was verified as believable by impartial scientific consultants.”
If this case sounds surprisingly familliar don’t fret, you aren’t having a boldenone-induced flashback.
Again in 2020, the ITF reinstated doubles co-world No. 1 Robert Farah after accepting his declare consuming contaminated meat in his native Colombia triggered him to fail a doping take a look at.
Robert Farah, like Zanellato, was provisionally suspended after testing constructive for boldenone.
Farah, who ate a beef dinner cooked by his mother, offered receipts to show his case. Farah confirmed his passport and flight document receipts as proof he was in Colombia earlier than his constructive take a look at. His mom produced the grocery store receipt of her buy of the meat two days earlier than her son’s arrival, the market supervisor testified the meat got here from a cattle firm in northern Colombia and ranchers from the plant testified they routinely used boldenone on cattle.
An ethical from each tales: Tennis execs watch out consuming meat in Colombia and when you do, then make sure you save your reciepts.
