Nadal: We're treated like criminals

Eurosport - Fri, 13 Feb 09:44:00 2009

The new dope testing regime in tennis treats players like criminals, according to world number one Rafael Nadal.

TENNIS Rafael Nadal criticism - 0

The Spaniard is leading criticism against the procedure adopted by the ATP, which signed the World Anti-Doping agency (WADA) protocol last year.

"It is not fair to have persecution like that," Nadal said at the World Indoor Tournament in Rotterdam.

From the start of this year, players ranked in the top 50 must nominate one hour daily when they will be available for testing, as per WADA regulations.

However, Nadal, Andy Murray and Gilles Simon have all claimed that it is harassment of tennis players.

"They make you feel like a criminal," Nadal said. "Not even my mother knows where I am every day. It is very difficult to know where you are going to be tomorrow especially in a sport like tennis."

The tighter dope control is a result of tennis being an Olympic sport, but Nadal wonders if it is worth it.

"Sure we want to be an Olympic sport, but I think we don't want to pay a price like this for an Olympic sport," he said.

"I am the first one who wants a fair competition, completely clean competition for everybody but the forms can be totally different."

French world number eight Simon almost missed an out-of-competition test while at home in Paris.

"I rescheduled a training session at Roland Garros and went to the zoo with my girlfriend, but I was called by the controller and just returned in time," he said.

Briton Murray hoped the testing could be simplified. "I just wish that the out-of-competition testing was done in the off-season and then they just test us at every single tournament," he said.

"Then that's fine, we could get tested 30 times a year. I think that's enough to know whether someone's trying to cheat or not."

If a player misses three tests in 18 months they could face a two-year ban.

Murray and Simon felt tennis could not be compared with other sports as it involved constant travel.

"You have to fill in a three-month form, but if you are knocked out in a tournament and decide to travel the next day, you have to change it immediately," said Simon.

A player tested after his final match in a tournament can return home the next day and face an out-of-competition test, something which happened to Murray after the Australian Open.

"I got a visit at 7am, hours after I came back from Australia. I woke up not really knowing where I was," he said.

"There has to be a more realistic and practical way to deal with the problem with tennis players."

Reuters

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  1. What I can say is the WADA, US. Anti-Doping Agency and­ mostly any doping agency in the world are a complete­ charade. Take this for an example:

    SAN FRANCISCO (AP)­ - Olympic gold medalist Antonio Pettigrew admitted­ publicly for the first time Thursday that he used­ performance-enhancing substances during a long,­ successful sprinting career in which he passed all drug­ tests.

    - First they do not have the means to fight­ multi-millionar athletes that can afford top of the­ line drug programs that make then undetectable.

    - Do­ governments really support detection and curbing, when­ they want prestige and gold medals?

    - Do any sport­ event organizers want to have their best ticket­ atractions banned?!

    - Would TV and sponsors pay for a­ lesser event?

    The Greeks were doing it in Ancient­ Greece for nothing and do you think the boys and girls­ of today would not do it for multi-millions?!?

    From ma_pratt, on Thu 26 Mar 6:48PM

  2. All athletes from all sports should attack WADA's­ anti-human rights rules for out of competition testing.­ These rules are rediculus and remids facism. No one has­ the right to force anybody to tell him where he is 365­ days a year and 1hour every day.

    I wonder why there­ is no boycot from elite level athletes ad fight this­ rule of WADA. There should be a legal act against WADA­ for this rule in any court of law in any country and­ then there will be a defacto decision, like the Bosman­ case for professional sport, some years ago.

    Common­ people lets fight gainst this facism rules of WADA.­ There must be an other way to fight doping.

    From ezda7, on Sat 14 Feb 9:08PM

  3. are tennis players criminals or sports men and women

    From Simon, on Sat 14 Feb 7:00AM

  4. tou should let them take drugs then humiliate them­ infront of there fans if found guilty then ban them

    From jeffben123, on Fri 13 Feb 9:38PM

  5. who cares - let them take as many drugs as possible...I­ want to see an all-drug competition

    From abtscot, on Fri 13 Feb 9:07PM

  6. Everyone was quick to jump on Olympic champion­ Christine Ohuorugu for missing tests, criminally­ calling her a drug cheat without realizing the­ unrealistic demands made by WADA. Now that the­ millionaire tennis stars are complaining­ people(especially the tabloids) might rethink their­ opinions of her. Raymond

    From raymaxwell, on Fri 13 Feb 8:02PM

  7. Nadal is absolutely right. Let not the powers that be,­ tend to belittle every player and the game, by adopting­ a pretentious holy approach.

    From Emmveeyem, on Fri 13 Feb 5:44PM

  8. this is a farce.

    From Tom, on Fri 13 Feb 4:53PM

  9. WHEN THE PLAYERS ARE NOT ON TOUR THEY SHOULD NOT BE­ DRUGS TESTED THEY HAVE A RIGHT TO THEIR PRIVATE­ LIVES.RULES ARE RULES WE KNOW AND THERE IS NO ROOM FOR­ DRUGS CHEATS IN ANY SPORT BUT THEY ARE GOING OVER THE­ TOP WITH THIS NOW.

    From AJ, on Fri 13 Feb 4:43PM

  10. Testing is a must, no one is denying this, but it must­ be done in such a manner as to not create extreme havoc­ in any ones life. Also remember that football players­ don't have to play to their maximum every game,­ tennis players do, so when questioning the huge sums of­ money that a tennis player gets, just remember that­ they have to be in form, every single game they play.­ Footballers can have an off day, off week or month and­ they still get paid the same. What a difference there­ would be in football if the players started getting­ paid on performance like tennis players do. What an­ entertaining thought, hahahaha.

    From edgar, on Fri 13 Feb 1:54PM

  11. wht rubbish is it man???? they r players 4 god­ sake..... give them some respect.... i know dat­ testing is nessesary, but dat doesn't mean u'r­ gonna put dem in discomfort every second day. they have­ a life. it can b scheduled before every tourn. &­ in out-of competition time as murray said........ hope­ they'll understand d fact & make it gud.

    From nihon_ikram, on Fri 13 Feb 1:23PM

  12. I dont think anyone disagrees with testing, just the­ way its carried out.

    From Peter, on Fri 13 Feb 11:36AM

  13. Why Dont They Just Test Them ALL At EVERY Tournie.?­ Surely That Would Be The EASIER Way?

    HAIL HAIL!

    From Stuart, on Fri 13 Feb 10:35AM

  14. There is a whole industry out there which constantly­ tries to design drugs which are hard to detect but give­ athletes a physical or mental boost in the short run. ­ People seem to forget that.

    From BobW, on Fri 13 Feb 10:31AM

  15. The naysayers will completely revert their stance if a­ top 100 player is found to have doped -- off season or­ during season.

    From BobW, on Fri 13 Feb 10:31AM

  16. Looks like the specific manner in which the drug­ testing is implemented needs to be revamped. But drug­ testing itself is essential.

    From BobW, on Fri 13 Feb 10:30AM

  17. yes nadal that why u earn millions of $$$$$. with who­ earns peanuts no one needs to follow me with tests.­ deal with it

    From Andrew, on Fri 13 Feb 10:18AM

  18. Why not just electronically tag them? That way WADA­ could use satellites to ascertain where they are all­ the time, after all if they want to treat them like­ criminals tagging makes sense :(

    From Vinnie Da Man Vegas, on Fri 13 Feb 9:52AM

  19. I read all of this comments and I wonder how stupid and­ jealous some people are. Well, if you are not talented­ in anything it is not athletes fault, it's your­ fault and if you don't like what your life is­ supposed to be then go on shoot yourself, don't­ blame the players.

    From Pukovnik, on Fri 13 Feb 9:01AM

  20. I must say that I have never heard about this kind of­­ stupidity. How the hell can somebody order you to tell­­ them where you are all the time?!?! This thing happens­­ to criminals who need to contact their parole officer­­ when they are out of prison. This goes against every­­ human right there is, I am surprised that athletes­­ haven't reported this to someone in International­­ Community.

    From Pukovnik, on Fri 13 Feb 8:58AM
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