Methamphetamine, a Stimulant, Detected
Claimed Positive Doping Result Was Due to a Kiss
A Venezuelan tennis player who claimed that a positive doping test result was due to a kiss has been suspended for four years.
A Venezuelan tennis player who claimed that a positive doping test result was due to a kiss has been suspended for four years. Photo by Getty Images
On October 11 (local time), the Associated Press reported that Goncalo Oliveira had been suspended for four years by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) for doping violations.
Oliveira, originally from Portugal, has been competing as a Venezuelan player since 2024. In November of last year, he participated in an ATP Challenger tournament in Mexico, where he tested positive for a banned substance during a doping test.
The substance detected in Oliveira’s sample was methamphetamine. Methamphetamine, a type of stimulant, is classified as a prohibited psychoactive stimulant under the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) regulations. Oliveira argued that the substance entered his body unintentionally. He claimed, "I did not take the drug intentionally; it may have been absorbed into my body while kissing my girlfriend, or it could have been due to environmental factors." However, the ITIA did not accept his explanation. After a review by an independent tribunal, the ITIA concluded that while Oliveira’s claim was theoretically possible, there was insufficient scientific and medical evidence to support it. As a result, he was suspended from competition for four years due to the use of a banned substance.
Claimed "No Intentional Use," but Not Accepted
With this suspension, Oliveira will be ineligible to compete as a player until January 16, 2029. He had already been provisionally suspended since the beginning of this year, and the four-year suspension will be calculated from January 2025. As of June this year, Oliveira was ranked 289th in ATP singles and had previously reached a career-high doubles ranking of 77th in 2020.
Meanwhile, claims of testing positive for doping due to a kiss have been made before.
In January last year, French fencer Isaora Thibus also claimed that a banned substance was detected in her system because of a kiss. After a legal battle with WADA and the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), which sought a four-year suspension, she was ultimately cleared when it was determined there was no intent. Similarly, French tennis player Richard Gasquet tested positive for cocaine in 2009 but argued that it was due to kissing a woman he met at a nightclub. At the time, the detected concentration in his body was extremely low, and there was substantial evidence confirming his visit to the club and the kiss, resulting in his suspension being reduced from one year to two months.
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