Tennis Australia is under fire for allowing banned star Dayana Yastremska on a chartered flight to the Australian Open.
The world No.29 was provisionally suspended from all tennis activity on January 7 after failing a doping test.
World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) said a urine sample given by Ukraine for an out-of-competition test on November 24 contained a metabolite of mesterolone, a synthetic testosterone.
Yastremska has denied committing any offence but not yet challenged the suspension.
“I have never used any performance-enhancing drugs or any prohibited substances,” the 21-year-old posted on Twitter.
“I am astonished and under shock, particularly given that two weeks prior to this test, I tested negative at the WTA event in Linz.”
Despite her claim of innocence, former Australian Sports Anti Doping Authority chief Richard Ings on Friday took to social media himself seeking an explanation from TA.
“I would consider an AO funded flight to a tournament to be an “activity” organised by the tournament,” Ings tweeted, along with WADA’s Rule 10.14.1 “Status during Ineligibility or Provisional Suspension.
“So perhaps someone can explain to me why Ms Yastremska is on a Tennis Australia funded charter flight to Australia for the Australian Open?”
The second-youngest woman in the world’s top 30 remains on the Open entry list but, technically, should not even be accredited.
Yastremska was among almost 1300 players and support crew on chartered flights heading to Australia, where they face 14 days of quarantine ahead of the Open’s delayed start date of February 8.
TA said it was investigating Yastremska’s case.