Was Marin Cilic Found In Violation Of The Tennis Anti-Doping Rules?

According to Croatian media, Marin Cilic is currently under investigation for failing a doping test. The daily paper Jutarnji List is reporting that the 15th-ranked Cilic failed a blood test in Munich because of “incautious use of glucose”.

“There are no comments until we will be able to comment,” Cilic’s manager Vincent Stavaux told the paper.

Cilic had just passed a similar in Monte Carlo a few weeks earlier. In this case, according to the reports, someone close to Cilic gave the 24-year-old tennis star medication that put his glucose levels outside the acceptable bounds. Both Cilic and the person who handled the medication failed to read the warning label on the package.

Possibly unaware of the failed test, Cilic played on until he was notified of the positive result just before his second round match against Kenny de Schepper at Wimbledon. The Croat cited a knee injury for pulling out of the match but the reports suggest he voluntarily withdrew to focus his attention on the case.

If this is true – the ITF hasn’t made any statement regarding the case, if there even is one – Cilic could face a year ban from the tour retroactively starting from Munich.

The story also suggests that Cilic could get a lighter 3-month sentence for his compliance in this matter and for the inadvertent circumstances that led to the positive test. Cilic is hoping to return as early as the Montreal Masters 1000 but the Croat, if found guilty, would at least forfeit all points and prize money accumulated from Munich until his return.

Montreal begins next week so assuming Cilic has already presented his side of the story, the ITF would have to rule on this in the coming days. If there is no ITF statement and Cilic plays in Montreal then either he was cleared by the tribunal or the media reports were completely false.

The Croatian No. 1 in May split with longtime coach Bob Brett. There is some speculation that former Wimbledon champion Goran Ivanisevic will take over once he returns to the sport.

The story comes on the heels of World No. 53 Victor Troicki’s 18-month doping suspension announced on Thursday.