Junior Wimbledon star suspended after testing positive for banned substance

Teenage tennis sensation Nikola Bartunkova has been provisionally suspended under the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme. Last year's junior Wimbledon finalist tested positive for the banned substance trimetazidine.

The International Tennis Integrity Agency announced the news of Bartunkova's ban on Thursday. The 18-year-old received a pre-charge notice of an anti-doping rule violation on April 16, citing the presence of a prohibited substance in a sample she provided, and the use of a prohibited substance without a valid Therapeutic Use Exemption.

The Czech player provided samples at two ITF events in Slovakia in February and Slovenia in March. The A samples from both tests contained trimetazidine, a drug listed as a "metabolic modulator" and classified as a non-specified substance, meaning any finding carries a mandatory provisional suspension.

Bartunkova did not possess a valid therapeutic use exemption for the trimetazidine. Her ban is effective from April 16 2024. The ITIA has not specified a length of time for the teenager's suspension.

As a result, she is banned from playing in, coaching at or attending any tennis event staged by the ATP, WTA, ITF, the four Grand Slams or any national association. Bartunkova was regarded as a promising young star and enjoyed her best result on the junior circuit when she reached the girls' final at Wimbledon last summer, losing to Clervie Ngounoue.

The 18-year-old defeated then-junior No. 1 Alina Korneeva in the semi-final. Bartunkova's decision to compete in the junior event came as something of a surprise given her success on the professional circuit.

The Prague-born star had already won an ITF W25 title in Italy before reaching the championship match at junior Wimbledon. And she continued her exploits on the 'adult' tour after her run at SW19, winning two more ITFs in Germany and Italy.

Bartunkova also recorded her first WTA Tour main-draw win at the Transylvania Open in October, defeating former world No. 21 Dayana Yastremska in the first round before losing a close three-setter to Ana Bogdan.