Parikshit Somani handed four-year suspension after testing positive for prohibited substance

Indian tennis player Parikshit Somani has been suspended for four years after testing positive for a prohibited substance during an ATP Challenger tournament in Astana last year.

The suspension was handed to the player by an independent tribunal of the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA).

The 26-year-old Somani, who achieved a career-best doubles ranking of 256 in July 2023, tested positive for trimetazidine, a prohibited substance, in Kazakhstan on July 31, 2025.

He was provisionally suspended on September 23, 2025.

In February 2026, Somani claimed that he had consumed food prepared by a family member that had allegedly been contaminated by the family member's medicine during the preparation process.

This formed the basis of Somani's explanation at a hearing before an independent tribunal on August 19, 2026. After considering expert scientific opinions submitted by Somani and the ITIA, the tribunal concluded that the food contamination theories were "scientifically implausible", "highly speculative" and "unconvincing", according to an ITIA release.

The tribunal found that Somani had failed to establish how the prohibited substance entered his sample and, therefore, ruled that no mitigating circumstances applied.

The period he has already spent under provisional suspension will be counted towards the four-year sanction. His suspension will consequently end on September 22, 2029.

During the suspension period, Somani will not be permitted to compete in, coach at or attend any events organised or sanctioned by World Tennis, WTA, ATP, the Grand Slams or any national association.  (with inputs from PTI)