American Nathan Ponwith, 28 and a career-high singles ranking of 367 in June 2023, has accepted a one-month suspension under tennis's anti-doping rules. The player tested positive for cannabis at a World Tennis Tour event in San Jose, Costa Rica, in February 2026, an offence that drew a swift but proportionate response from the integrity body overseeing the lower tiers of the game.
Cannabis is prohibited only in competition. The ITIA accepted Ponwith's explanation that the use occurred out of competition. The default penalty for this type of breach is three months, which can be reduced to one month if the individual commits to a treatment programme approved by the ITIA, a route designed to balance accountability with rehabilitation rather than pure punishment for such substances.
Ponwith entered such a programme, bringing his suspension down to a single month. The ban ended on 18 July 2026, subject to completion of the required conditions, allowing him to return to the circuit at the lower levels where he has built his career over more than a decade.
