Indian tennis player Parikshit Somani has been handed a four-year suspension after an independent tribunal found him responsible for an anti-doping rule violation.
Somani tested positive for the prohibited substance trimetazidine after providing a sample while competing at an ATP Challenger event in Astana, Kazakhstan, on 31 July 2025. He had been provisionally suspended since September 2025.
Somani argued that the substance may have entered his system through contaminated food prepared by a family member whose medication contained trimetazidine. However, after considering expert evidence, the tribunal concluded that the explanation was scientifically implausible and that Somani had not established how the substance entered his system.
The tribunal therefore determined that Somani could not establish that the violation was unintentional, meaning the applicable four-year suspension was imposed. His provisional suspension will count towards the sanction, with the ban scheduled to end on 22 September 2029.
The 26-year-old reached a career-high doubles ranking of 256 in July 2023. During his suspension, he will be unable to compete in, coach at or attend events organised or sanctioned by the ATP, WTA, Grand Slam tournaments, World Tennis or national associations.
