Wimbledon Girls Finalist Nikola Bartunkova Faces Doping Suspension on Pro Tour

Nikola Bartunkova, a finalist in the Wimbledon girls' singles competition, has been provisionally suspended by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) after testing positive for the banned heart medication trimetazidine. The ITIA disclosed that the 18-year-old Czech player returned positive tests for trimetazidine during tournaments held in Trnava, Slovakia, and Maribor, Slovenia, in February and March respectively.

Trimetazidine, also known as TMZ, has previously been implicated in high-profile doping cases, including those of Russian figure skater Kamila Valieva and 23 Chinese swimmers during preparations for the Tokyo Olympics in 2021.

Bartunkova, who finished as the runner-up in last year's Wimbledon girls' singles final, attained her first tour victory last year by defeating world number 21 Dayana Yastremska. She reached a career-high ranking of 226 in April but currently holds the 282nd position.

Pending a hearing with the ITIA, Bartunkova is prohibited from participating in all sanctioned tennis events.