Doubles No. 1 Farah tests positive for banned substance boldenone

World No. 1 doubles player Robert Farah has withdrawn from the Australian Open while announcing that he tested positive for the banned substance boldenone. The 32-year-old Colombian was informed by the ITF about the results of an anti-doping test he took in October 2019.

“I want to tell everyone about a situation that is making me live one of the saddest moments of my life and my sports career,” Farah said in a statement posted on Twitter in Spanish on Tuesday (embedded below; English translation here). “I will not be able to compete in the Australian Open, an hour ago the ITF informed me of the presence of the prohibited substance Boldenone in a test tube which was carried out on October 17th in Cali.

“This substance is frequently found in Colombian meat and can distort the results of doping tests. This is certainly the reason that provoked this positive result. We are investigating and want to show that I have never used products that go against clean play and ethics. I am calm and confident of the results of this process.”

Farah his doubles partner Juan Sebastian Cabal won back-to-back Grand Slam titles at Wimbledon and the US Open.

In addition, it was announced on Tuesday that 78th-ranked Nicolas Jarry has been suspended for doping. The 24-year-old Chilean, who was ranked in the Top 40 in singles last July, is awaiting a full hearing.

From the Associated Press:

LONDON (AP) — Nicolas Jarry of Chile was suspended Tuesday for a doping violation during the Davis Cup Finals in November. He contends the positive test is the result of tainted multivitamins.

The International Tennis Federation says the World Anti-Doping Agency found his urine sample taken in Madrid contained the prohibited substances ligandrol and stanozolol. Stanozolol is a steroid and ligandrol can act like a steroid.

In an Instagram post, the 78th-ranked Jarry denied knowingly ingesting them. He adds that the levels cited were “incredibly low" and didn't provide a “performance-enhancing benefit.” Jarry intends to cooperate with the ITF and his legal team plans to test the vitamins that were made in Brazil.

He has the right to contest the provisional suspension, but the ITF says he has not yet done so.

The 24-year-old player reached a career-high ranking of 38th in singles in July. He has one singles title and two doubles titles in his career. He reached the quarterfinals in doubles at the 2018 French Open and U.S. Open.