[caroline]

I read on one of the tennis websites yesterday that James Blake has come out and said that its a well known fact that tennis players use performance enhansing drugs on tour especially at the top of the game.He said he was not prepared to mention any names as it would not make any difference nothing would be done about it.So my arguement is then why would you say something like that and not follow it through.

[caroline]

Hi All,

I sort of remember when Greg Rusedski failed a drugs test. I think it was for Nandrolone or something like that. I can't remember exactly. He insisted right from the start that he was clean.

The one I do remember well was when Gasquet was found to have cocaine in his drugs test. He was banned for a while I think, whilst the matter was investigated. He said he'd kissed a girl in a night club and she'd been using it. I could never quite work out whether that suggested he'd kissed the girl or eaten her.

As for Andy, I just don't think he would ever do it. He's worked too hard to get where he is to face the prospect of being banned for life, and for what? A strong performance in a tournament, one that he's capable of producing all on his own anyway? I just don't think Andy could look any of his team in the eye, or face himself in the mirror, if he ever did such a thing.

In Nadal's case I very much doubt there is a 'silent ban' in place. Wouldn't there be at least hints of something in the tennis coverage if that was so? The trouble is that Nadal's team have, in effect, fulled these malicious rumours by giving out a lot of different information about what is actually wrong with him. To my mind they would have been better off issuing one statement, i.e. a statement, not a comment from Rafa on facebook, saying that such and such was the problem, rather than giving the impression it was tendonitis, before announcing it was Hoffa's syndrome, and then saying it was a partially torn patella tendon. Either that or they should have just said he had a knee injury and left it at that. Sometimes saying nothing is better than sending out a lot of mixed information.

I agree with you TJ Andy would never do anything like that.

[Alis]

I think Andy did right to speak up too but I don't think his comment, 'I think there's very little skill involved in the Tour de France, it's pretty much just physical,' will go down well with the cycling fraternity!  I can see where he's coming from though.

[Alis]

Thanks Dani.

[*Sparkle*]

You just knew someone would pick up on the quote and rush to take offence without thinking about the context of what he was saying.   It probably wasn't the wisest phrasing, but it's fairly obvious that there was no intention of putting down what the cyclists do, just making a comparison of the relative skill vs strength components of the sports.   I see the person who complained has accepted Andy's explanation with good grace.  Sadly, there are a few going around quoting him out of context, and telling him that there's more testing in cycling than tennis - oblivious to the fact that Andy was actually pressing for tennis to do more!

It's been such a hot topic in the press, it was inevitable someone would be asked about it this week, especially as they are in France.   Perhaps Andy expected someone to say something, but for an off the cuff question, probably just an attempt for a sound-byte condemnation of Lance, Andy gave incredibly informed, thoughtful and thought provoking answers.   The skill bit for cycling could have been better phrased, especially as it's already obvious that tour cycling isn't about a deft touch.

[caroline]

I don't think his approach was particularly helpful.  It's one thing to say he thinks it might be going on, but to me, the suggestion it's more widespread at the top than the bottom is counter-intuitive.   Most top players made waves when they were scrawny teenagers.   Doping might make them more consistent, and capable of winning more, but it didn't make them good.   Doping would have much more lure for a player whose progress up the rankings has stalled and knows they need to do something about it, or give up on the dream.

In the absence of specific reasons for suspecting doping, I'd assume someone like Blake simply feels that the top players are in another league.    Some people find it hard to accept that they simply aren't as talented as the other guys, so would rather come up with excuses than face their own limitations. 

It is possible that some top players are doping, but if it is happening, they won't be doing anything to make it "obvious" to a lower ranked player like Blake.    With the money at stake, there's bound to be a few who want to earn even more than they are already earning, but I genuinely believe that most athletes would rather win clean.

I agree with you 100% as did lots of other people on the tennis site i read it on.There reasons were the same for Blake saying those as yours.

[Aileen]

Now I wonder which Spanish sportsmen Noah has in mind ...  Nadal was an obvious suspect at one time because of his bulging muscles at a fairly young age, but I seem to recall him saying that he must have been one of the most tested players ever because of it.  Ferrer has boundless energy, which is why he's known as the Duracell Bunny, and I'm sure that's frequently brought him to the attention of the dope-testers as well.

The truth is that it's possible to bulk up muscles through exercise alone and it's been said that Nadal has suffered some of his injury problems simply because he did this before his body was physically able to cope.  As for Ferrer - there are people who seem to naturally have energy plus (wish I was one of them!).

Unfortunately dope-cheating exists in many sports, so why should tennis be exempt?  Drug-taking in cycling has been known about for decades and, until dope-testing was enforced more stringently recently, athletics was riddled with drug-cheats.  Probably a lot of you are too young to remember the dreadful training programmes during the 1970s and 80s female athletes in what was then East Germany were forced to go through, where they were fed what they were told were "vitamin pills" but were in fact PEDs, with the result that many of them are now suffering serious health problems as a result of steroid abuse.