KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN –
Oct. 10, 2025 – The tribunal reviewed Oliveira’s claim that the substance entered his system unintentionally, either through kissing or environmental contamination. The 30-year-old Portuguese-born athlete argued that the positive result came from a kiss, but an independent tribunal rejected his explanation. Oliveira, who reached a career-high doubles ranking of 77th in 2020, is now barred from competing, coaching or attending any sanctioned tennis events during his period of ineligibility.
While unusual, Oliveira’s case is part of a rare group of doping incidents linked to intimate contact. In 2009, French tennis player Richard Gasquet avoided a ban after his positive cocaine test was traced to kissing a woman at a nightclub.
