 Karatantcheva reached the quarter-finals at the French Open |
Sesil Karatantcheva has been banned for two years after being found guilty of using performance-enhancing drugs. The 16-year-old Bulgarian tested positive for the steroid nandrolone at the 2005 French Open and out of competition in Tokyo last July.
An independent tribunal rejected her explanation that she had been pregnant when the test was performed.
The ruling means Karatantcheva loses the �76,000 prize money and ranking points she earned at Roland Garros.
She will also forfeit all world ranking points and prize money from all competitions subsequent to the Paris Grand Slam.
The 16-year-old rose to prominence after knocking out Venus Williams in the third round of this year's French Open.
She lost to Russia's Elena Likhovtseva in the quarter-finals and tested positive after that match.
Karatantcheva, who is ranked as world number 41, has three weeks to appeal to the International Tennis Federation against her ban.
MMIX
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