STWF Sports | Dec. 22, 2025 – American teenager Jessica Eudovic has been provisionally suspended from tennis after testing positive for a banned substance, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) confirmed this week. The 18-year-old returned an adverse analytical finding for clostebol following an ITF World Tour event in El Salvador in October, casting uncertainty over a career that was only just beginning to take shape on the professional circuit.

According to the ITIA, a metabolite of clostebol was detected in both Eudovic’s A and B samples during laboratory analysis. As a result, she has been provisionally suspended under the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme (TADP) while disciplinary proceedings continue.

In a detailed statement, the ITIA outlined the timeline and basis for the suspension.

“The ITIA sent the player a pre-charge notice of an Anti-Doping Rule Violation on 21 November 2025 under Article 2.1 of the TADP (presence of a Prohibited Substance in a Player’s Sample) and/or Article 2.2 (Use of a Prohibited Substance without a valid Therapeutic Use Exemption),” the agency said.

The governing body added that clostebol is classified as a non-Specified substance under the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) Prohibited List, meaning its presence carries an automatic provisional suspension.

“Clostebol is a non-Specified substance, and Eudovic did not possess a valid TUE for the substance,” the ITIA said. “Findings for non-Specified Substances carry a mandatory provisional suspension – in Eudovic’s case, this has been in effect from 21 November 2025.”

Appeal rejected by independent tribunal

Under TADP rules, players have the right to appeal the imposition of a provisional suspension. Eudovic exercised that option, filing an appeal on 1 December 2025. However, the challenge was dismissed just over two weeks later.

On 16 December 2025, independent tribunal chair Dr Tanja Haug ruled that Eudovic’s submission did not meet the standard required to lift the suspension.

“The basis of Eudovic’s appeal was insufficient to meet the threshold required to lift a Provisional Suspension,” Haug concluded, according to the ITIA.

As things stand, Eudovic is barred from competing in, coaching at, or attending any tennis event authorised or sanctioned by ITIA members, including the ATP, WTA, ITF, Grand Slam tournaments, and national associations.

A setback at an early stage

The suspension represents a significant setback for a player still finding her footing in professional tennis. Eudovic reached a career-high singles ranking of No. 1,104 on the ITF circuit in October, shortly before the El Salvador event where the positive test was recorded.

At that tournament, she was eliminated in the second round of qualifying by Jade Bornay. While Eudovic had yet to make a major breakthrough, she was considered part of a broad group of young American players attempting to climb the lower rungs of the professional ladder.

Her case will now proceed through the ITIA’s confidential disciplinary process, which will determine whether a formal sanction is imposed and, if so, its length.

What is clostebol?

Clostebol is classified as an anabolic androgenic steroid under section S1.1 of the 2025 WADA Prohibited List. Substances in this category are banned at all times, both in and out of competition, due to their potential performance-enhancing effects.

The drug has gained wider attention in tennis following the high-profile case involving four-time Grand Slam champion Jannik Sinner. Earlier this year, Sinner received a three-month ban after testing positive for clostebol on two occasions.

WADA accepted Sinner’s explanation that the substance entered his system inadvertently through treatment administered by his physiotherapist. Crucially, the agency concluded that Sinner did not intend to cheat and that clostebol did not provide him with a performance-enhancing benefit in his case.

Sinner served his ban from February 9 to May 4, allowing him to return in time for the French Open, where he reached the final before losing to Carlos Alcaraz.

Uncertainty ahead

Eudovic’s situation now sits at a delicate crossroads. While a provisional suspension does not equate to a final ruling, it places her career on hold at a formative stage and underscores the strict liability principle that governs anti-doping in tennis.

Until the disciplinary process concludes, her future in the sport remains uncertain—another reminder of how swiftly fortunes can change on the professional tour.