ITIA doping ban: Russian youngstar suspended for four years for nandrolone violation

The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) confirmed the suspension of 20-year-old Russian tennis player Aleksei Mokrov for a total of four years—of which he has already served just over 10 months—after violating the rules of the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme (TADP).

The young Russian player was competing in Futures tournaments during 2024, achieving a career-high ranking of No. 1413. Mokrov was found guilty after testing positive for Nandrolone in a test conducted at the ITF M15 in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.

Although the Russian player challenged the result, arguing that the laboratory accredited by the World Anti-Doping Agency failed to comply with international standards, an independent tribunal ultimately rejected his claim.

"The independent tribunal determined it was 'entirely unpersuaded' by Mokrov’s argument, and that the player failed 'by some margin' to prove the assertion," the ITIA statement reads. "The tribunal also noted that Mokrov made no attempt to explain the source of the positive test. As such, the player did not prove that the breach was unintentional."

"The sample was split into A and B samples and the subsequent analysis found that both samples contained metabolites of Nandrolone, which is prohibited under the TADP, in the category of Anabolic Agents (section S 1.1 of the 2024 World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List)."

Since the substance was non-specified, Mokrov received a mandatory provisional suspension from January 27, 2025, until the final resolution. Following a remote hearing on October 16, 2025, the tribunal imposed a definitive four-year suspension, which will end on January 26, 2029. Furthermore, Mokrov forfeited results, points, and prize money from the tournament where he tested positive and all subsequent events up to the provisional suspension.

The suspension not only prevents him from competing in official tournaments but also prohibits him from training or attending events sanctioned by the ITIA, its members, or national federations. This includes the ATP, WTA, ITF, USTA, Wimbledon, Australian Open, etc.

Nandrolone is an anabolic androgenic steroid that is found naturally in small quantities in the human body. Its positive effects include muscle growth, appetite stimulation, and increased production of red blood cells and bone density.

The most controversial case involving Nandrolone consumption in tennis is that of former Australian Open champion Petr Korda—father of Sebastian Korda. The former Czech player tested positive for Nandrolone in his urine analysis during Wimbledon 1998—a tournament where he reached the quarter-finals. He received a two-year ban, which the federation later reduced by half, but Korda retired from the sport, refusing to accept the accusations.

More recently, the controversial case of Tara Moore—who also received a four-year suspension—involved contamination by Nandrolone (in addition to Boldenone, another anabolic steroid).