Martina Hingis banned from tennis for two years after testing positive for cocaine

The 27-year-old Slovakian-born star has been found guilty of a doping offence, the International Tennis Federation announced today.

As well as a two-year ban, the ITF have also asked Hingis to forfeit ranking points and $129,481 (£65,526) worth of prize money from Wimbledon and any subsequent tournaments.

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Drugs tests showed cocaine in Hingis' system during the Wimbledon tournament last summer.

In November, Hingis announced she was quitting tennis after the test results, but insisted she was innocent.

At a press conference, she said: "I have tested positive but I have never taken drugs and I feel 100 per cent innocent.

"The reason I have come out with this is because I do not want to have a fight with anti-doping authorities.

"Because of my age and my health problems I have also decided to retire from professional tennis.

"When I was informed I had failed my test following my defeat at Wimbledon I was shocked and appalled.

"I have no desire to spend the next seven years fighting doping officials.

"I'm frustrated and angry. Accusations such as these don't provide me with the motivation to continue."

Despite Hingis' appealing the test results, the ITF rejected her challenge and instated the ban from October 1st 2007.

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A statement from the ITF said: "The International Tennis Federation announced today that an independent Anti-Doping Tribunal convened under the 2007 Tennis Anti-Doping Programme has found that Martina Hingis, a 27-year-old Swiss tennis player, has committed a Doping Offence.

"Following a two-day hearing in December 2007, an independent Anti-Doping Tribunal found that a sample provided by Ms Hingis on 29 June 2007 at the Wimbledon Championships in London, England, had tested positive for a metabolite of cocaine.

"The Tribunal rejected the suggestion made on behalf of Ms Hingis that there were doubts about the identity and/or integrity of the sample attributed to her.

"The Tribunal also rejected Ms Hingis' plea of No (or No Significant) Fault or Negligence, on the basis that no mitigation was possible as it had not been shown how the cocaine entered her system."

Hingis, who returned to the sport in 2006 after hanging up her racket in 2003, lost in last year's third round at Wimbledon to Laura Granville.

She was won 43 WTA singles titles during her career, including five grand slams.