Tennis star banned for doping after graduating Nadal academy and facing Murray

Tennis star Imran Sibille has been provisionally suspended under the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme. The International Tennis Integrity Agency has confirmed that the 23-year-old provided an in-competition sample while competing in an ITF World Tennis Tour M25 event in Catalonia on March 9 this year.

"The sample was split into A and B samples and the subsequent analysis found that the A sample contained cocaine," they said, in a released statement. "Cocaine is a non-Specified substance. Findings for non-Specified Substances carry a mandatory provisional suspension - in Sibille's case, this has been in effect from May 8, 2025."

The authority added that to date, Sibile has not take the option to appeal the sanction before an independent tribunal chair. While provisionally suspended, he's prohibited from from playing in or attending professional tennis events.

Sibille was previously a trainee at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca. Back in 2019, when still a teenager, he famously played Andy Murray in the Scot's first match on the Challenger Tour for 14 years.

The pair met at the Rafa Nadal Open, and Murray only needed 43 minutes to seal victory. He outclassed the teenager 6-0 6-1 in what was his first match back following hip surgery.

Sibille is yet to earn a card on the , and is currently ranked outside the world's top 1500. However, despite his low profile his doping breach is another unwelcome drug scandal for the sport.

World No.1 Jannik Sinner returned to action at the Italian Open last week after serving his three-month suspension for a failed test. That followed five-time major champion Iga Swiatek taking a one-month ban last August for her own violation.

Last month, the ITIA . This followed his providing an in-competition test sample on November 26 last year while playing in an ITF event in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.