Former NCAA player Casey Kania tests positive for marijuana, handed 2-year suspension

American tennis player Casey Kania, who played in the NCAA doubles championship in 2023, has been handed a two-year ban from professional tennis for breaching anti-doping protocols.

According to the International Tennis Integrity Agency, Kania provided an in-competition urine sample during a Challenger tournament in Cary, the USA, in August 2023. Kania's sample tested positive for cannabis (Carboxy-THC), which is banned in competition under section S8 of the WADA Prohibited List. The ITIA also noted that Kania did not possess a Therapeutic Use Exemption for the substance.

A laboratory analysis of the sample in November 2023 confirmed the presence of cannabis, and Kania was charged with committing an Anti-Doping Rule Violation. The ITIA accepted that the 21-year-old did not intentionally breach the sport's anti-doping program. This is why his sentence was reduced from a four-year ban for an "intentional violation" to a two-year sanction.

Casey Kania's ban will be backdated to February 1, 2024, when the decision in his case was issued, and end on February 1, 2026. During this period, he will be prohibited from playing in, coaching at, and even attending any tournament and event associated with the ITIA, i.e., ATP Tour, WTA Tour, as well as Tennis Australia, Fédération Française de Tennis, Wimbledon, and USTA, the organizers of Grand Slams.

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Casey Kania reached his highest career doubles ranking of 1317 in August 2023

Casey Kania

Casey Kania hails from the University of North Carolina and received an at-large bid to the 2023 NCAA doubles championship alongside his partner Ryan Seggerman. The duo lost in the Round of 32 to University of Central Florida's Lleyton Cronje and Bogdan Pavel.

Kania has played at lower-level ATP tournaments and reached his highest doubles ranking of 1317 on August 21, 2023. He competed at the 2023 Cary Challenger 1 in the doubles category. Kania partnered with fellow North Carolina native Benjamin Kittay and received a wildcard to play in the doubles main draw.

Kania and Kittay stunned No. 2 seed Patrik Niklas-Salminen and Bart Stevens in the opening round, 6-1, 6-2. The American duo lost to the Indian pairing of Purav Raja and Ramkumar Ramanathan in the quarterfinals, 6-4, 7-6 (2).

Kania is currently ranked World No. 1353 in doubles and does not have a singles ranking. He has won $482 in career prize earnings. However, as part of his suspension by the ITIA, his results, prize money, and ranking points from the Cary Challenger 1, and any tournament are "disqualified."