Former Top 20 tennis player given 4-year doping suspension
By HOWARD FENDRICH
AP Tennis Writer
Former Top 20 tennis player Varvara Lepchenko has been given a four-year doping suspension after testing positive for a banned stimulant at a tournament in 2021. The punishment was announced Friday by the International Tennis Integrity Agency. The 35-year-old Lepchenko has represented the United States in the Summer Olympics and at what is now known as the Billie Jean King Cup. She took the doping test while competing at the Hungarian Grand Prix last July. She went on to appear in three other tournaments before being provisionally suspended in August. She is eligible to return to competition in August 2025.