The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) on Thursday suspended 2017 national champion Dalwinder Singh for two years after testing positive for consumption of prohibited substance morphine. Singh, who reached a career-high world singles ranking of 791 in April 2017, tested positive for morphine in March 2025 while competing in an ITF World Tennis Tour event in Chandigarh.
“During the period of ineligibility, Singh is prohibited from playing in, coaching at, or attending any tennis event authorised or sanctioned by the members of the ITIA (ATP, ITF, WTA, Tennis Australia, Fédération Française de Tennis, Wimbledon and USTA) or any national association,” ITIA said in a release. Morphine is prohibited under the TADP, in the category of Narcotics (section S7 of the 2025 World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List). Findings for Specified substances do not require a mandatory provisional suspension, keeping 29-year-old Singh eligible to compete while a full investigation took place.
Following correspondence with the ITIA, Singh admitted to the ADRV, asserting that they believed the source of the morphine to be a pain-relief medication taken on the day of their positive test.
According to the player’s explanation, the medication was prescribed approximately 12 months earlier, following wrist surgery. However, Singh was unable to provide further information to support their account, including any packaging, receipts, prescriptions, or the name of the product taken – falling short of the evidence necessary to demonstrate source.
While the ITIA did not possess the necessary evidence to prove that Singh’s breach of the TADP was intentional, the player could not establish source of the positive test, and no mitigating factors could be considered to reduce Singh’s level of fault. In line with precedent and TADP rules, a two-year suspension was proposed to the player, which was acceded to and became effective on October 22, 2025. The period of ineligibility will end on October 21, 2027.
Results, prize money and ranking points from the event in which Singh tested positive are also forfeited. The ITIA is an independent body established by its tennis members to promote, encourage, enhance, and safeguard the integrity of their professional tennis events.
