backKing & Spalding has secured a finding of No Fault or Negligence for Peruvian professional tennis player, Conner Huertas Del Pino, in an investigation launched by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) under the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme (TADP).
Mr Huertas Del Pino was charged with an anti-doping rule violation after testing positive for boldenone, an anabolic steroid, at an ATP Challenger event in Bogotá, Colombia in May 2025. Two other players tested positive for boldenone at the same event. Under the TADP, Mr Huertas del Pino faced a potential four-year ban from tennis unless he could demonstrate that the presence of boldenone in his doping sample was not intentional.
Working with the player, the King & Spalding team were able to establish that the positive test likely resulted from the inadvertent consumption of contaminated meat in the days prior to sample collection. The ITIA accepted the player's explanation and determined that he bore No Fault or Negligence for the anti-doping rule violation. The ITIA’s finding resulted in the complete elimination of any period of ineligibility. Mr Huertas Del Pino's provisional suspension was lifted on 22 January 2026, enabling him to return to professional competition with immediate effect.
The King & Spalding team representing Mr Huertas Del Pino included Tom Sprange KC, Charity Kirby, Eldy Roche, and Liam Petch. Jack Ledigo also provided assistance.
King & Spalding is a founding legal partner of the Professional Tennis Players Association's (PTPA) Athlete Counsel & Equity (ACE) program. ACE provides professional tennis players faced with unfamiliar legal processes and investigations with pro bono support, ensuring equitable access to legal expertise regardless of a player's financial standing and personal resources.
Since the program's launch, King & Spalding have secured numerous successful outcomes before the ITIA and remain dedicated to supporting players through the continued development of the ACE program.