Nikola Bartunkova, the Wimbledon girls finalist, faced provisional suspension by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) following a positive test for the banned heart medication trimetazidine. The ITIA revealed that the 18-year-old Czech player tested positive during tournaments held in Trnava, Slovakia, and Maribor, Slovenia, in February and March, respectively.
Trimetazidine, commonly known as TMZ, has been associated with high-profile doping cases, including Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva’s and 23 Chinese swimmers preparing for the Tokyo Olympics, who also tested positive for the substance in 2021.
Bartunkova, who lost to Clervie Ngounoue in last year’s Wimbledon girls singles final, achieved a notable victory against world number 21 Dayana Yastremska last year, marking her first tour win. Her career saw a peak in April, reaching a ranking of 226, though currently, she stands at 282nd.
Pending an ITIA hearing, Bartunkova is prohibited from participating in all sanctioned tennis events.
