Tara Moore Receives Four-Year Tennis Ban After Appeal

Tara Moore, a British tennis player, has been given a four-year ban. This decision comes after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) upheld an appeal filed by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA).

The former top-ranked doubles player for Britain was initially provisionally suspended in June 2022. This was due to the presence of the prohibited anabolic steroids Nandrolone and boldenone in a sample.

Moore maintained that she had never knowingly taken a banned substance during her career. An independent tribunal initially cleared her, attributing the presence of the substance to contaminated meat she had consumed.

However, CAS overturned the initial ruling. The court found that Moore did not adequately prove the source of the nandrolone. The ITIA's appeal against the initial "No Fault or Negligence" ruling was successful.

CAS stated that the panel determined Moore did not successfully prove the nandrolone concentration was consistent with contaminated meat consumption. The panel concluded she failed to establish the anti-doping rule violation (ADRV) was unintentional.

Moore had previously expressed the impact of the initial suspension on her reputation, ranking, and livelihood. She had also filed a cross-appeal with CAS.

The cross-appeal was deemed inadmissible. The four-year ban will begin from July 15, with credit given for the provisional suspension already served.

The ITIA's CEO, Karen Moorhouse, stated that the decision to appeal was not taken lightly. The ITIA's scientific advice indicated that Moore did not sufficiently explain the nandrolone levels in her sample.