Australian doubles specialist Max Purcell violates tennis’s drug rules

According to the Associated Press on Monday, Australian doubles tennis specialist Max Purcell of Sydney has agreed to enter a voluntary suspension for violating tennis’s anti-doping rules. We do not know at this time how long Purcell’s possible suspension will be. What we do know is that Purcell posted on his Instagram account, “unknowingly received an IV infusion of vitamins above the allowable limit of 100 millilitres.”

Purcell reportedly notified the medical clinic that he received the IV it needed to be under 100 millilitres to avoid a suspension. However, there seemed to be an error somewhere with the infusion. The suspension began during tennis’s offseason, specifically December 12.

This is the second report recently of a tennis player violating tennis’s anti-doping rules in the last month. In late November, women’s world number two tennis player and 2024 French Open champion Iga Swiatek of Poland was suspended one month for taking trimetazidine. Swiatek stated the positive test was “unintentional” according to Isaac McIntyre of The Sporting Base, and the International Tennis Integrity Agency accepted her explanation.

Purcell is ranked 12th in the world in men’s doubles and is the second ranked Australian in men’s doubles. Jordan Thompson of Sydney is ranked third.

In his tennis career, Purcell has won two grand slam men’s doubles finals. He teamed up with Matthew Ebden of Perth to beat the Croatian duo of Nikola Mektic and Mate Pavic, 7-6, 6-7, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 in the final of Wimbledon in 2022, and then teamed up with Thompson to beat the German duo of Kevin Kraweitz and Tim Putz, 6-4, 7-6 in the final of the United States Open in 2024.

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