Viktor Troicki has been banned for 18 months for a violation of
anti-doping rules, the International Tennis Federation has announced.
The 27-year-old Serb, who recently reached the third
round at Wimbledon, failed to provide a blood sample during the Monte
Carlo Masters in April.
Troicki, ranked 53rd in the world, claimed he had asked for permission to be excused from the blood test because he was feeling unwell.
But the ITF rejected that explanation.
Troicki, who reached 12th in the world rankings in June 2011, will begin his suspension immediately and it will end on 24 January, 2015.
Viktor Troicki profile
- Born: 10 February 1986 in Belgrade
- Height: 1.93m / 6ft 4in
- Weight: 86kg / 13st 5lb
- Current ranking: 55
- Highest ranking: 12 (June 2011)
- Career earnings: $4.52m
- Tournament wins: One (October 2010 Kremlin Cup, Moscow - pictured)
- Grand Slam best: French Open (fourth round in 2011), Wimbledon (fourth round in 2012)
Troicki told a news conference on Thursday "this is the toughest moment of my career and of my life".
"`I am innocent," he said.
"I have never ever taken any prohibited substance or ever thought of doing so. I did not lie and this really hurts.'".
He becomes the fifth professional to serve a doping suspension in 2013 after Filippo Calorosi, Barbora Zahlavova Strycova, Dimitar Kutrovsky and Fernando Romboli.
The ITF said he had the right to appeal at the Court of Arbitration of Sport.
Troicki must also forfeit all of the prize money and rankings points he earned at the Monte Carlo tournament, where he was beaten 6-1 6-2 by Finland's Jarkko Nieminen in the first round.
Just hours before the ITF announcement, the powerful right hander - who was a key part of Serbia's victorious Davis Cup team in 2010 - was beaten 6-0 6-4 to Spain's Tommy Robredo in the second round of the Croatia Open.
An ITF statement read: "Mr Troicki, a 27-year-old player from Serbia, was notified on 15 April 2013 that he had been selected to provide a urine sample and a blood sample in association with his participation at the Rolex Monte Carlo Masters event.
"Mr Troicki provided a urine sample, but did not provide a blood sample.
"He asserted to an independent tribunal that he was assured by the Doping Control Officer (DCO) that it would be acceptable not to provide a sample on account of him feeling unwell that day.
"However, the tribunal concluded that the DCO told Mr Troicki that she could not advise him as to whether his reason for not providing a blood sample was valid, and that no such assurances were given by her.
"Accordingly, the tribunal determined that Mr Troicki's actions constituted a failure and a refusal to provide a blood sample, and that his explanation for not doing so did not constitute compelling justification.
"However, the tribunal accepted that the stress that Mr Troicki was under at the time entitled him to mitigation."
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