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Doping in Tennis ?
craighateslife
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Having listened to various amounts of evidence regarding how cycling's governing body was corrupted by greed rather than expose it's EPO problem I started to feel sick of the possibility of some of tennis's stars using PED's - especially when I heard the Serena panic room story.

Now having found out that the ATP oversee drug testing throughout the year I wonder if say any top star were to test positive what for a banned substance would the ATP really come out and tell the public? The sport is in a great place and is making some serious money through sponsors and TV and exposing any wrongdoing would no doubt see revenue and interest fall.

I have no evidence or nor do I want it to be true but if the testing in tennis is as lacks as it appears to be then it is open to abuse.
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The Gnome
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If some stories are to believed, then nadal is currently serving a silent ban for doping, no proof of course just pure speculation. Personally, i believe any ban for doping on the atp tour would depend on the profile of the player.
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laundry
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If it turned out Andy was doping how would that affect your opinion of him?
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craighateslife
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More info

http://tennishasasteroidproblem.blogspot.co.uk/p/doping-cases.html
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craighateslife
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Quote from: laundry on October 16, 2012, 12:15 am
If it turned out Andy was doping how would that affect your opinion of him?

I would be sickened but I get the feeling it's more lower level players trying to make their way up the tour. The thing that comforts me with Andy is his level stayed the same during Olympic testing while others dropped.
[ Last edit by craighateslife October 16, 2012, 12:31 am ] IP Logged
craighateslife
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Does anybody else feel that the testing process in tennis is a joke?
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Aileen
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Quote from: laundry on October 16, 2012, 12:15 am
If it turned out Andy was doping how would that affect your opinion of him?
I'd be utterly gutted because I'd have believed him to be above this sort of thing, particularly given his well-known strong views on the subject.  I've no time for dope cheats in any sport and feel they deserve all the punishment that's meted out to them, and Andy certainly wouldn't be an exception.


Quote from: craighateslife on October 16, 2012, 12:22 am
Does anybody else feel that the testing process in tennis is a joke?
No, because it simply wouldn't be possible to test every single player on the ATP/WTA Tours, and I suspect it's largely confined to lower ranked players who are keen to enhance their chances of winning more tournaments and therefore more money, something players in the upper echelons of the sport don't, or shouldn't have, worries about.

Also I know that the top players are tested regularly, and Nadal and Murray have complained that they've even been tested when not competing, and also that testing is often carried out at totally inconvenient times (like 6 am).  Plus they're expected to tell the doping authorities where they're likely to be and at what time - something which is frequently unpredictable given the fact that no player knows how long a match is going to last or how long he's going to stay in a tournament.

Also I read recently that tennis has the tightest anti-doping programme of all sports where PEDs would be very desirable.
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Sabine
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Quote from: laundry on October 16, 2012, 12:15 am
If it turned out Andy was doping how would that affect your opinion of him?

I wouldn't believe until there is 100% proof..
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blueberryhill
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There's a history of doping in most sports, unfortunately.
Didn't Rusedski test positive once?
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Masaka
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Quote from: craighateslife on October 16, 2012, 12:22 am
Does anybody else feel that the testing process in tennis is a joke?


Also I read recently that tennis has the tightest anti-doping programme of all sports where PEDs would be very desirable.

I track what is said on the Tennishasasteriodproblem site. What puts me off it a bit, is their assumption that anybody who wins is an automatic doper. However they do seem to come up with some valid points and they seem to be moving away from focussing on specific players.

I agree with the first posting that said testing in tennis does sometimes seem a bit of a joke.  In response to Aileen I am not sure that the testing processes are that tough they don't seem to take it that seriously.

I have said on other threads here (and got crucified for it), that I think Nadal is up to his eyeballs in it (I have never believed the selective knee problems).  I think ND was last year and the early part of this. If he is still at it this year it is to a much lower level. He has performed at a human, rather than superhuman level this year.  I also have suspicions about Ferrer based on his age, energy levels, and the doping doctor who he has links with.

As for Murray - I think the glorious inconsistencies in his performance, and the fact that when he has had a hard match you can see it in him, indicate that doping is not part of his winning strategy. Everything we know about him suggests he has far too much honesty and integrity to play those sorts of games.
Some of the stars of the women's tour seem a bit suspect to me mind you.

Another possible issue is when do things like eggs and pods, and fake medical timeouts cross the line between gamesmanship and cheating?


Such are my thoughts having sworn not to get involved in these discussions again, because I seemed to have been upsetting people. Apologies in advance if I have done again.
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Iris
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I don't think dope testing in tennis is a joke having heard Andy's complaints of arriving at his house at 7.00 a.m. to test him (he thought they must weird watching someone give a sample at that time in the morning)  I do wonder though about the blood transfusions, particuarly in relation to one top class tennis player who looked as if he would not lose one match in 2011 and who managed two hard five set matches in succesive days, was seen eating something whilst hiding behind a towel at a Grand Slam event.  Sportspeople who take drugs or any other enhancement are only kidding themselves, they are cheats and liars and should be treated accordingly.
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Masaka
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Re Iris Exactly - it was that episode that made me go looking for data on the subject. There is fitness and there is farce. That was farce. It was interesting seeing the same player's legs go this year, after a fairly easy US Open. Actually made me even more convinced that there were suspicious goings on earlier this year. I  think that there is a level of naivety in some of the testing routines. The amount of times individual players are tested, and the types of tests, and the timing of some of those tests suggest that it sometimes gives windows of opportunities, when drugs could be used without too much risk. It is not necessarily the quantity of testing, but the quality, and is it being targeted at players whose performance would give rise to suspicion?
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Littlebuddha
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Players do not have to take drugs to improve their performance. Look at Lance Armstrong. He had blood taken from himself and kept it in storage until a big event. He would then take it, the blood increase oxygen and gave him an advantage I think its called EPO. This is not new, years ago a Finnish athlete called Lasse Viren did this and it helped him to increase his stamina and win races. So this is not new it has been going on for a long time.
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TheMadHatter
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Quote from: Masaka on October 16, 2012, 05:26 pm
Re Iris Exactly - it was that episode that made me go looking for data on the subject. There is fitness and there is farce. That was farce. It was interesting seeing the same player's legs go this year, after a fairly easy US Open.
Sorry what.
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Masaka
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Quote from: TheMadHatter on October 16, 2012, 06:19 pm
Sorry what.

Didn't ND have a fairly easy route to the final. He didn't play that many long matches did he?
R1 6.2,6.0,6.1
R2 6.2,6.1,6.2
R3 6.3,,6.2,6.2
R4 6.4,6.1,3.1
QF 6.2,7.6,6.4
SF 2.6,6.2,6.4,6.2

Compared with Mr M
R16.2,6.4,6.1
R2 6.2,6.1,6.3
R3 7.6, 7.6,4.6,7.6
R4 6.4,6.4,6.2
QF 3.6,7.6,6.3,6.0
SF 5.7, 6.2,6.1,7.6

Or did I read it wrong? I thought ND had played about 7 hours less?
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