Leonid Kostyliev

Leonid Kostyliev (born August 22nd, 1988) is a male lion professional tennis player from Ukraine. He is coming off of a twelve-month ban for testing positive for a banned substance.undefined

Biography
After winning the Dublin Open at the young age of 18, Leonid seemed on the verge of a dominant career. However the success may have gone to the young lion’s head as his success quickly faded after failing to reach another final of a Major in the next three years. Repeating his early success always remained out of reach. A serious blow was dealt to his career during the 2016 season as he tested positive for a recently banned substance. Despite pleading no contest on this first-time violation he received a twelve-month ban from competitive play. Critics now wonder if the lion can still compete physically as he approaches 30 and if he can mentally deal with the fallout from his ban.

Playstyle
A powerful serve and forehand is the foundation of Leonid's game. Often will go for an inside-out forehand in an attempt to put away the point rather than expose his weaker backhand.

2016 Ban
In April the FTA released a revised version of their banned substance policy to all players. Leonid signed the agreement that he had read and understood all the changes, but in the following tournament tested positive for a recently added drug. The drug was added to the banned substance list due to athletes abusing the drug to increase their blood flow, creating an advantage for them during physical activities. Leonid had taken the drug after being prescribed it by a doctor as a teen. It is debatable whether the lion was taking the drug for a legitimate medical reason, or if it was to gain an advantage over the competition. Originally handed a 2-year ban, Leonid appealed and it was reduced down to only a twelve-month ban.