Yanina Wickmayer won’t say whether she will appeal 1-year ban for doping rules violation

Wickmayer won’t say whether she’ll appeal ban

BRUSSELS — Belgian tennis player Yanina Wickmayer isn’t saying whether she will appeal her one-year suspension for violating anti-doping rules.

At a tearful news conference Thursday, the U.S. Open semifinalist said she has never tested positive for drugs.

The 20-year-old Wickmayer was suspended last week by the International Tennis Federation for failing three times to report her whereabouts for testing.

She said tennis and anti-doping authorities did nothing to educate her about how to report her whereabouts online as required by international anti-doping rules.

She refused to answer any questions about any appeal.

Wickmayer said the rulemakers “are not really conscious of what this means for my future.”