Croatia's Marin Cilic has been handed a nine-month doping ban,
the International Tennis Federation (ITF) announced on Monday.

The 24-year-old, currently ranked 24th in the world,
has had the ban back-dated to May 1 this year,
meaning he will be able to return to action on February 1, 2014.

Cilic's doping violation came when he tested positive
for the stimulant nikethamide at the Munich Open in May.

"The International Tennis Federation announced today that
Marin Cilic has been found to have committed an Anti-Doping Rule Violation
under Article 2.1 of the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme
(presence of a Prohibited Substance in a Player's Sample),"
a statement confirmed.

"The substance in question originated from a glucose tablet
purchased at a pharmacy in France. Unbeknownst to me,
the glucose tablets contained a substance that is banned in competition," Cilic said in a statement.

"I wish to emphasise that I have never knowingly or deliberately
taken any banned substances in my life and that I am opposed to any use
of performance-enhancing substances in sport."
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