Hewitt suspended two weeks and fined for pushing doping control official

Australian Davis Cup captain Lleyton Hewitt has been handed a two-week suspension and fined A$30,000 ($19,803) after being found guilty of pushing a doping control official, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) confirmed on Wednesday.

The charge stemmed from an incident last November, when Hewitt shoved a 60-year-old volunteer anti-doping chaperone following Australia’s Davis Cup semi-final defeat to Italy. He was formally charged in January with engaging in offensive conduct towards an official.

Hewitt denied the allegation, claiming he acted in self-defence, but an independent tribunal ruled against him, stating that his actions were “not reasonable and proportionate” and did not meet the legal standards for self-defence.

“Anti-doping personnel play a fundamental role behind the scenes in upholding the integrity of tennis, and they should be able to go about their roles without fear of physical contact,” ITIA CEO Karen Moorhouse said. “In this case, that line was clearly crossed, and we had no other option but to take action.”

Hewitt’s ban will run from 24 September to 7 October, during which he will be prohibited from all tennis-related activities including coaching, mentoring, captaincy, and playing.

Australia will face Belgium in the second round of Davis Cup qualifiers in Sydney from September 13-14. Tribunal chair Michael Heron said the timing of the suspension was set so as not to be “unduly punitive” by interfering with Hewitt’s Davis Cup duties.

The 43-year-old, a former Wimbledon and US Open champion, still has the option to appeal the ruling, though the ITIA confirmed no appeal has yet been lodged.

SportsLigue