It has been claimed that the ATP was told about players unintentionally eating contaminated meat at a Challenger tournament where a failed drugs test was registered.
Argentina’s Renzo Olivo has written on social media that he saw fellow competitors eating the food at the Ibagué Open in June. A Colombian Challenger event that was held on clay. Olivo, who has been ranked as high as 78th in the world, says he told the ATP and asked them to issue a warning to those taking part in the tournament.
Earlier this week, 22-year-old Brazilian player Nicolas Zanellato was issued with a suspended ban after testing positive for boldenone in two separate samples taken. He has subsequently appealed against the verdict to the ITIA who concluded that the “evidence provided fell “well short” of the required threshold.” Zanellato is now prohibited from playing or coaching at Tour events until he serves his ban or wins his appeal at an independent tribunal that will take place at some stage.
“I played in the same tournament where he (Zanellato) tested positive, and I had to go to the supervisor and tell him to send an email to the players not to eat meat because there were players who didn’t know about it, and I saw a couple of them eating meat,” Olivo wrote on X.
“What did the supervisor say to me? ‘Ah, you’re right, we have to send it.’ Too late! Besides, it’s a substance that doesn’t give any sporting advantage.
“The news is made public, and then there’s an appeal; that’s the normal procedure. There’s no appeal before it’s made public.”
Boldenone is an anabolic androgenic steroid and synthetic derivative of testosterone. It is listed in S1 of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) 2023 Prohibited List as an anabolic androgenic steroid. In 2020 former Grand Slam doubles champion Robert Farah, who is from Colombia, tested positive for the same substance but was able to prove his failed test was linked to contaminated meat.
The ATP has so far not made any comment regarding Olivio’s claim.
