Yastremska appeal dismissed

Following a decision by the Chair of the Independent Tribunal to deny an application to lift the provisional suspension imposed on her on 7 January 2021 under Article 8.3.1(c) of the 2020 Tennis Anti-Doping Programme, Dayana Yastremska (UKR) appealed that decision to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).

The CAS has dismissed that appeal and Ms Yastremska therefore remains ineligible to compete, pending the final resolution of her case.

This was Yastremska’s last-ditch attempt to be cleared to play in the Australian Open after the Ukrainian World No 29 travelled to Melbourne despite being under a provisional suspension following the discovery of banned substance mesterolone in an out-of-competition test sample.

Yastremska, who was placed into quarantine on arrival along with others involved in the tournament, had claimed the positive test was the result of a ‘contamination event’.

The CAS, however, has confirmed her provisional ban will remain in place, ruling her out of any AO participation, which is scheduled to begin on Monday, 8 February.

Yastremska was on one of the 3 charter flights to Melbourne where positive COVID-19 cases were later identified, and was among the 72 players forced into a two-week period of strict quarantine prior to the start of the first Grand Slam of the year.

The tournament was postponed by three weeks to allow for the period of quarantine after players arrive in the country.

Calls had been made for the event to be pushed back again due to positive coronavirus tests from players and quarantine periods.

Between 500 and 600 people connected to the Australian Open were forced into isolation on Thursday after a worker at one of the tournament’s quarantine hotels tested positive, throwing plans for the event into disarray just days before it is set to start.