Australian Davis Cup captain Lleyton Hewitt has vowed to appeal against a two-week suspension for shoving a doping control official.
He was slapped with the sanction and a Aus$30 000 ($19 800) fine on Wednesday following an independent tribunal ruling under the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme.
He was charged in January after pushing a 60-year-old volunteer anti-doping chaperone following Australia’s Davis Cup semifinal defeat to Italy in Spain two months previously, the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) said.
He denied the charge, citing self-defence.
The case was referred to an independent tribunal and, following a hearing in Sydney in July, chairman Michael Heron upheld the charge of offensive conduct.
But the suspension will only take effect from 24 September, meaning he is free to captain Australia in their second-round qualifier against Belgium in Sydney this weekend.
Hewitt slammed the timing of the suspension while vowing to appeal.
He said: “I’m just really disappointed about the overall decision but also the whole process to be honest, and the lack of facts that have been put out.
“I’ll be going to the appeal process with my legal team, so I won’t be talking about it any further.”
He said the suspension will make the Australian Davis Cup team stronger.
Hewitt said: “Unlike the ITIA and the ITF (International Tennis Federation), I won’t be making it a distraction for the Davis Cup. This competition means too much.
“I think deep down it will make the boys even stronger to go out there and get the job done.”
During his suspension, Hewitt will be unable to take part in all tennis-related activities including coaching, mentoring, playing, captaincy and other associated roles.
Hewitt won 30 singles titles and 3 doubles titles on the ATP Tour, including two singles majors at the 2001 US Open and 2002 Wimbledon Championships, a doubles major at the 2000 US Open, the 2001 and 2002 Tennis Masters Cups in singles, and led Australia to Davis Cup crowns in 1999 and 2003.
He remains the most recent Australian man to win a singles major.
