Australia's Davis Cup captain, Lleyton Hewitt, has been handed a two-week ban and fined 30,000 Australian dollars (£14,600) after being found guilty of pushing a doping control official. The incident occurred following Australia's Davis Cup semi-final defeat by Italy last November in Malaga, Spain. Hewitt pushed a 60-year-old volunteer anti-doping chaperone, leading to charges brought by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA).

Hewitt, a two-time Grand Slam singles winner, denied the charge, citing self-defence. However, an independent tribunal upheld the charge, stating that his actions were "too strong or forceful and was excessive or disproportionate." Hewitt expressed his disappointment with the decision and the process, stating, "I'm just really disappointed about the overall decision but also the whole process to be honest, and the lack of facts that have been put out."

The ban will prevent Hewitt from participating in "all tennis-related activities" from 24 September until 7 October. However, he will be able to captain Australia in the second round of Davis Cup qualifiers against Belgium from 13-14 September in Sydney. The tribunal's chair, Michael Heron, emphasized that they did not want the suspension to be "unduly punitive" on Hewitt by impacting his Davis Cup schedule.

Hewitt, who won the US Open in 2001 and Wimbledon in 2002, has announced his intention to appeal the decision. He stated, "I won't be talking about it any further," and reaffirmed his commitment to the Davis Cup, saying, "Unlike the ITIA and the ITF (International Tennis Federation), I won't be making it a distraction for the Davis Cup. This competition means too much."

ITIA chief executive Karen Moorhouse highlighted the importance of anti-doping personnel, stating, "Anti-doping personnel play a fundamental role behind the scenes in upholding the integrity of tennis and they should be able to go about their roles without fear of physical contact. In this case, that line was clearly crossed and we had no other option but to take action."

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