The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) announced on Thursday, October 30, 2025, that Dalwinder Singh, the 2017 national champion, has been suspended for two years. The suspension follows a positive test for morphine, a substance prohibited under anti-doping regulations.
Singh, who achieved a career-high world singles ranking of 791 in April 2017, failed a drug test in March 2025 while participating in an ITF World Tennis Tour event held in Chandigarh. Morphine falls under the Narcotics category (section S7 of the 2025 World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List) within the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme (TADP).
The ITIA clarified that during his period of ineligibility, Singh is forbidden from engaging in any tennis-related activities, including playing, coaching, or attending events sanctioned by ITIA members such as ATP, ITF, WTA, Tennis Australia, Fédération Française de Tennis, Wimbledon, USTA, or any national association.
While findings for ‘Specified substances’ like morphine do not automatically trigger a mandatory provisional suspension, allowing players to compete during an investigation, Singh admitted to the Anti-Doping Rule Violation (ADRV). He claimed the morphine originated from a pain-relief medication prescribed approximately 12 months prior for wrist surgery.
However, Singh could not provide sufficient evidence to corroborate his account, such as packaging, receipts, prescription details, or the name of the product. Consequently, the ITIA, while not finding evidence of intentional breach, determined that Singh failed to establish the source of the positive test, leaving no mitigating factors to reduce his level of fault.
In adherence to established precedent and TADP rules, a two-year suspension was proposed and accepted by Singh. The ban commenced on October 22, 2025, and will conclude on October 21, 2027. Additionally, all results, prize money, and ranking points earned by Singh from the event where he tested positive will be forfeited.
The ITIA operates as an independent body, established by its member organizations to uphold and protect the integrity of professional tennis events worldwide.