Czech Tennis Player Nikola Bartunkova Provisionally Suspended for Doping with Heart Medication Trimetazidine

In a shocking development, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) has provisionally suspended Czech tennis player Nikola Bartunkova for doping following positive tests for the prohibited heart medication trimetazidine at tournaments in Slovakia and Slovenia in February and March respectively. Bartunkova, who reached the finals of the Wimbledon girls tournament last year and currently ranks 282nd, is banned from participating in any sanctioned tennis events pending an ITIA hearing. This news comes after high-profile positive tests for TMZ were recorded in 2021 for Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva and 23 Chinese swimmers preparing for the Tokyo Olympics. Bartunkova lost to Clervie Ngounoue in last year’s Wimbledon girls singles final and also made it to the semi-finals and doubles final of the Junior French Open in 2022. Further details regarding the suspension have not been disclosed yet. The AP Sports Department has further coverage on this story.