ATP Tour denies report, says andro already banned

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Posted: Friday August 28, 1998 01:59 PM

NEW YORK (AP) - The ATP Tour on Friday denied a published report that androstenedione had been added to its list of banned substances as recently as Thursday, saying players already were forbidden from using it.

"Drugs of this nature come under the heading of related substances," said Graeme Agars, ATP Tour vice president of communications. "As far as the ATP Tour antidoping program is concerned, any substance which raises level of testosterone is banned and has been banned."

The New York Times reported Friday that the men's tennis organization had banned the testosterone-producing dietary supplement on Thursday.

"Contrary to published reports, the ATP Tour did not ban the substance effective yesterday, and that was because it was already covered under our anti-doping program," the tour said in a statement. "The inference that players who took the substance before that date were not subject to the antidoping regulations is also incorrect."

The Times had quoted Bill Norris, the ATP Tour's on-site medical trainer at a tournament in Commack, New York, as saying that players will officially be notified of the ban Monday, the start of the U.S. Open.

Agars said he did not know if androstenedione would be mentioned during the regularly scheduled player's meeting at next week's U.S. Open, but said it "would discuss this substance or any other substance with any player at any time should they inquire."

The use of androstenedione has been at the center of a debate since last week, when slugger Mark McGwire admitted to The Associated Press that he takes the supplement.

Major League Baseball allows the use of androstenedione, but it is banned by the NFL, NCAA, the International Olympic Committee and high school athletic associations. Baseball said this week it would look into the use of androstenedione and other dietary supplements.