L'americano Nathan Ponwith, 28 anni e best ranking numero 367 del mondo nel giugno 2023, ha accettato una squalifica di un mese per violazione delle regole anti-doping. Il tennista era risultato positivo alla cannabis in un evento del World Tennis Tour a San Jose, in Costa Rica, nel febbraio 2026.
La cannabis e vietata esclusivamente in competizione. La ITIA ha accolto la spiegazione di Ponwith, secondo cui l'assunzione e avvenuta fuori gestione agonistica. La pena base per questa tipologia di violazione e di tre mesi, ma puo essere ridotta a un mese qualora il giocatore aderisca a un programma di trattamento approvato.
Ponwith ha aderito al percorso di cura, portando la sospensione a un solo mese. La sanzione si e conclusa il 18 luglio 2026, salvo il completamento delle condizioni previste.
Si tratta di un caso lieve rispetto ad altre violazioni, ma rientra appieno nel programma di integrita del tennis, che disciplina con rigore anche le sostanze vietate solo in gara.
Fonti
- [ITIA](https://www.itia.tennis/news/sanctions/american-tennis-player-nathan-ponwith-accepts-one-month-anti-doping-suspension/)
Nathan Ponwith accepts one-month anti-doping suspension for cannabis use
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.
It is a minor case compared with other violations, but it falls squarely within tennis's integrity programme, which rigorously governs substances banned even only in-competition and leaves little room for ambiguity around where and when they are prohibited under the rules. His case shows how treatment pathways can soften penalties for minor substances. Supporters see the outcome as a proportionate response to a low-risk, out-of-competition breach. The case drew little controversy within the sport.
Sources
- [ITIA](https://www.itia.tennis/news/sanctions/american-tennis-player-nathan-ponwith-accepts-one-month-anti-doping-suspension/)
