With effect from 1 September 2016, the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme (Programme) will be amended. Specifically, the following underlined text will be added to Article 13.3:
13.3 The ITF shall use its reasonable endeavours to ensure that Persons under its control do not publicly identify Players or other Persons whose Samples have resulted in Adverse Analytical Findings or Atypical Findings, or Atypical Passport Findings or Adverse Passport Findings, or are alleged to have committed an Anti-Doping Rule Violation under this Programme, unless and until a Provisional Suspension has been imposed or accepted or an Independent Tribunal has determined that an Anti-Doping Rule Violation has been committed, and/or the Anti-Doping Rule Violation has been admitted…
What does this mean?
Where a case that arises under the Programme after 1 September 2016 results in a Provisional Suspension, that Provisional Suspension will be publicly announced. This applies to all Provisional Suspensions, whether mandatory or voluntarily accepted.
Why is this change being made?
The reputation of the Programme and, consequently, the image of tennis, have been damaged by accusations that players have been allowed to serve bans without those bans being made public (so-called ‘silent bans’). This rule change will prevent any further similar accusations and so protect our sport.
http://www.itftennis.com/news/237420.aspx#8ei3JYM3irhKo8Fk.99