UPA has suspended Andrei Daescu for 60 days. This suspension was announced on Tuesday afternoon. The reason for the suspension is a violation involving Daescu’s paddles. During the Major League Pickleball event in Atlanta, a foreign substance was found on one of his paddles. This paddle was submitted to Pickle Pro Labs for testing. The substance was later confirmed to be illegal by the UPA.
Daescu admitted that the surface of his paddle was tampered. However, he has not yet made any public comments about the circumstance. Because of the suspension, Daescu cannot compete in Professional Pickleball Association or Major League Pickleball events until the middle of July. In addition to the suspension, he has been penalized $50,000 and also placed on probation for one year.
Daescu will miss several major events due to this suspension. These events include the CIBC Texas Open powered by TIXR, the Veolia Sacramento Open presented by Best Day Brewing, and the Select Medical Orange County Cup presented by Fitvine. Daescu is a member of the AZ Drive, so he will also miss the MLP D.C. and the Mid-Season Tournament.
This suspension is a significant setback for Daescu, who is a four-time 2024 PPA medalist. The UPA has not revealed the exact nature of the illegal substance found on his paddle.
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