Evans not the first to test positive for cocaine

On Friday, Dan Evans held an impromptu press conference in London, announcing that he failed a drug test for cocaine in April. Here's his full statement:

For the past year, Evans had been enjoying a massive surge, reaching a career-high ranking of No. 41 in March, just a month before his positive drug test. Instead of looking to make waves at his home Slam at Wimbledon, the 27-year-old's future is uncertain.

It should help that the drug was taken recreationally, and not to boost performance. It should also help that two other players have notably tested positive for the same drug, and made successful returns.

Richard Gasquet, who's playing great tennis this week in Halle, nearly ruined his career in 2009. Gasquet’s brush with the ITF law became famously known as the “Cocaine Kiss.” After withdrawing from Miami in 2009 with a shoulder injury, he tested positive for cocaine.

The then-23-year-old claimed the trace amount in his system was due to kissing a woman named Pamela at Ultra, a Miami music festival. What could have been two years ended up being far less because the ITF decided he was not significantly at fault. He was ranked No. 23 before the suspension, and a respectable No. 47 after it.

Given the shortness of the suspension, the gossip eventually dissipated, while his ranking has enjoyed a steady boost into the Top 10.

Then there was Martina Hingis. This case was nearly incomprehensible. Hingis was the darling of tennis after becoming the youngest-ever No. 1 at 16. But in 2007, at the age of 27, she tested positive for cocaine at Wimbledon. Instead of fighting back, Hingis simply maintained her innocence throughout the media frenzy and abruptly retired, effectively rendering her two-year ban irrelevant.

She would return six years later as a doubles specialist, becoming No. 1 in doubles, winning her 12th Grand Slam doubles title in Australia last year.

Evans can hope that this mistake ends up being just a blip–like it was for Gasquet and Hingis—damaging his reputation but leaving his career somewhat unscathed.

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