Romeo Arcuschin, 18, has been suspended by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (Image: Getty)
A teenage tennis player has been suspended by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) after failing a drugs test last year. Romeo Arcuschin, 18, from Argentina, reached a career-high ranking of 1802 towards the end of 2025. Back in December, he provided a sample for testing while playing at an ITF World Tennis Tour event in Peru.
Subsequent analysis found that his sample contained a metabolite of stanozolol, a banned synthetic anabolic-androgenic steroid. A second ‘B’ sample was analysed in February and confirmed the initial findings from the ‘A’ sample. Because of this, Arcuschin has been hit with a provisional suspension, banning him from all professionally sanctioned events until further notice.
In a statement on Tuesday, the ITIA said: « The ITIA sent the player a pre-charge notice of an Anti-Doping Rule Violation on 16 February 2026 under Article 2.1 of the TADP (presence of a Prohibited Substance in a Player’s Sample) and/or Article 2.2 (Use of a Prohibited Substance without a valid Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE)).
« Arcuschin, who reached a career-high world singles ranking of 1802 in November 2025, provided an in-competition sample while competing in an ITF World Tennis Tour M15 event in Lima, Peru, on 15 December 2025.
« The sample was split into A and B samples and the subsequent analysis found that the A sample contained a metabolite of stanozolol.
« The substance is prohibited under the TADP in the category of Anabolic Agents (Section S1.1) of the 2025 Prohibited List. The B sample was analysed on 23 February 2026 and confirmed the findings of the A sample.
« As stanozolol is a non-specified substance, a mandatory provisional suspension is required. In Arcuschin’s case this has been in effect from 16 February 2026.
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Arcuschin is yet to appeal the provisional suspension he was handed (Image: Getty)
« Players have the right to appeal the imposition of their provisional suspension before an independent tribunal chair. To date, Arcuschin has not appealed. »
During his period of ineligibility, Arcuschin will be prohibited from playing in, coaching at or attending any event sanctioned by members of the ITIA.
These include the ATP, ITF, WTA, Tennis Australia, Federation Francaise de Tennis, Wimbledon and the United States Tennis Association (USTA).
It comes just days after another player from Argentina was banned for six years and nine months after admitting to 30 breaches of the Tennis Anti-Corruption Programme.
Leonardo Aboian, 27, admitted to fixing eight of his own singles and doubles matches on the ITF World Tennis Tour and ATP Challenger tours between 2018 and 2025.
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