Nikola Bartunkova Returns to WTA Tour After Doping Ban

Nikola Bartunkova, a former Wimbledon junior runner-up, returns to the WTA Tour following a six-month doping ban, attributed to ingesting a contaminated supplement. The International Tennis Integrity Agency acknowledged her unintentional violation. Her results between February and April are disqualified, except one event in Czechia.

Former Wimbledon junior finalist Nikola Bartunkova is set to make a return to the WTA Tour following a six-month suspension due to a doping violation. Bartunkova, 18, tested positive for the banned substance trimetazidine earlier this year. The violation was attributed to an unintentional ingestion through a contaminated supplement.

The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) confirmed that the banned substance was found in a supplement containing milk thistle extract, and acknowledged that Bartunkova's infraction was not deliberate. Consequently, she was handed a six-month ban, during which her rankings were removed for the results between February and April, except for one event in Czechia where she tested negative.

With her suspension now lifted, Bartunkova is eligible to participate in WTA events starting this Monday, marking her return to professional tennis after reaching a career-high ranking of 226 prior to her suspension.

(With inputs from agencies.)