The 30-year-old five-time Grand Slam doubles champion provided a urine sample on February 16 during an out-of-competition test, which failed for letrozole.

Her mother Fulvia, who has been battling cancer since 2005, claims to have dropped some pills on a surface where tortellini and broth were being prepared.

Errani was initially awarded a two-month ban by the International Tennis Federation, but the Italian National Anti-Doping Agency are appealing to increase this to two years.

According to Corriere della Sera, the hearing lasted nine hours and saw an emotional Errani burst into tears twice.

She is also attempting to avoid losing the ranking points and prize money achieved between February 16, the date of the failed test, and the French Open in May.

A key reason why the Italian anti-doping body are thought to be keen to push for a stronger ban is due to the similarity with a case involving rower Niccolò Mornati.

The five-time World Championship medallist tested positive for banned breast cancer drug anastrozole last year and was consequently ruled out of competing at last year's Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

He was originally banned for four years but this was reduced to two on appeal.

Letrozole and anastrozole are both listed in section 4.1 of the World Anti-Doping Agency Prohibited List as banned hormone and metabolic modulators.

There is therefore some lingering doubt as to whether Errani did really ingest the substance mistakenly. 

A CAS verdict is the Errani case is expected in December.

In 2012, Errani ended a working relationship Luis Garcia del Mora, a doctor implicated in the Lance Armstrong doping scandal.

"I'm not interested in keeping working with a person that is involved in these things," she said at the time, according to the BBC.

Errani reached the singles final at the French Open in 2012, losing to Russian Maria Sharapova 6-3, 6-2.