The Rise and Fall of Mariano Puerta: From French Open Finalist to Doping Scandal
Mariano Puerta, once ranked World No. 9, reached the 2005 French Open final, where he lost to Rafael Nadal in four sets.
His promising career was cut short when he tested positive for etilefrine, a banned stimulant. This was his second doping offense, leading to an eight-year ban, later reduced to two years. Puerta later admitted to lying about how the substance entered his system, further damaging his reputation. His case remains one of tennis’ biggest doping scandals, overshadowing his achievements on the court.
