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

An independent hearing heard that Errani's mother Fulvia, who has been battling cancer since 2005, dropped some pills on a surface where tortellini and broth were being prepared.

Her daughter, a five-time Grand Slam winner in doubles, then accidentally digested the drug when eating the family meal.

A tribunal set-up by the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme ruled that there was no evidence of deliberate cheating.

It did announce, however, that Errani could have done more to protect herself.

Her two-month ban has been back-dated to begin on August 3.

It means that the current world number 98 in singles will not play at the last Grand Slam tournament of the year, the US Open.

"Together with my family we have tried to understand how this contamination could have happened because I am 100 per cent certain I haven't taken a pill by mistake," Errani said.

"The only viable option has been that an accidental food contamination occurred."

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.

Sharapova was herself banned for 15 months after failing a test for meldonium at the 2016 Australian Open.

In women's doubles, Errani has won all four Grand Slam tournaments with partner Roberta Vinci, including the Australian Open twice in 2013 and 2014.

She won both the French Open and US Open in 2012, and Wimbledon in 2014.

Errani is also a three-time Fed Cup champion.

Letrozole was banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency because of fears it increases muscle mass.