SYDNEY (AP) — Two-time Grand Slam doubles champion Max Purcell has accepted an 18-month ban after breaching anti-doping rules, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) said Tuesday.
The Australian player admitted to a breach of rules relating to the use of a “prohibited method” after unknowingly receiving an intravenous infusion of vitamins above the allowed limit of 100 milliliters in a 12-hour span and entered into a provisional suspension in mid-December.
Purcell said he'd informed the clinic he was a professional athlete and that the infusion had to be less than 100 milliliters.
The ITIA said the 27-year-old had received IV infusions of over 500 milliliters twice but his full cooperation and information sharing during the investigation had allowed for a 25% reduction in the sanction.