Is there a doping problem in Tennis?

Jimy_Hills_Chin

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I had seen a few pointed articles about Djokovic in the past but now it seems that the rumours of him doping are appearing more and more openly.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/te...feats-Tomas-Berdych-to-reach-semi-finals.html

It certainly seems that the Tennis authorities are concerned enough about doping to be taking positive action to safeguard the integrity of their sport.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/te...clean-in-wake-of-Lance-Armstrong-scandal.html

Looking back at the past 10 years of the sport: we have seen some incredible players with truly exceptional fitness and athletic abilities.

Does tennis have a doping problem? Is everyone convinced that what we have seen is legit?
 
zing said:
Maybe he's just really, really fit.
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Nah he's not British.

No reports nothing, just start a thread based on rumors. Well done.
 
I think it's more prevalent in almost every sport than we'd like to think.

But I'm not sure why Djokovic is being singled out. He just looks to me like a guy who lives for his sport. Without any other indicators I wouldn't assume his performance has anything to do with doping.
 
I don't have a clue, but wouldn't be surprised if most professional sport is somehow infested with this shit. Would anyone be surprised if a fellow like Usain Bolt ends up having a Lance Armstrong moment some years down the line?

Sincerely hope not.
 
His fitness levels are beyond belief. It's as if he gives opponents a two set lead and then comes back to beat them. He always seems to have a few 5 hour matches in GS tournaments and is back on court the next day fresh as a daisy.

I have to be honest, it never even crossed my mind until I read this post and the attached article but it is amazing how he has gone from retiring from a match due to exhaustion to 5 set marathon's and beating people almost into submission through sustained speed, power and accuracy.
 
I'm not much of a tennis or Djoko fan, but I'd be so bloody disappointed to learn that what I thought was amazing fighting spirit was actually cheating.
 
KM said:
Nah he's not British.

No reports nothing, just start a thread based on rumors. Well done.
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The Daily Telegraph are allowed to talk about it but not the CAF?

The rumours are being reported in lead tennis articles in respected newspapers. A lot of journalists are digging at him at the moment, asking him pointed questions about Lance Armstrong and such, the suspicion is real. I am not saying that he is a drugs cheat. I am simply asking the CAF what they think about the situation. The tennis authorities are concerned enough to implement better testing procedures so they can safeguard the integrity of their sport. I hardly see that starting a thread on here asking if tennis has a doping problem as being controversial, it is a bloody sports forum after all. I will change the thread title so not to upset you further.
 
Just curious, who are these 'a lot of journalists'?

I don't follow tennis news..
 
Nothing would surprise me anymore. Djokovic has achieved absolute beastly levels of fitness. It would be sad but one does wonder.

He went from someone who couldn't hack it in a 5setter to one that absolutely thrives in it within the space of about 4 months.
 
I think he says his dramatic improvement in fitness was due to a change in diet. Cutting out gluten or something.
 
Who cares? He's a great player, and so far as I know there aren't any steroids that can magically increase your fitness without some serious work on your part to help them along.

It's publicly known that Messi was given growth hormones (read: steroids) yet no one seems to have an issue with it.
 
Andrew~ said:
Who cares? He's a great player, and so far as I know there aren't any steroids that can magically increase your fitness without some serious work on your part to help them along.

It's publicly known that Messi was given growth hormones (read: steroids) yet no one seems to have an issue with it.
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Never heard of EPO? Messi was given HGH for a growth disorder as a child. I don't know how on earth you would go about proving that as sports doping 10 years later.

For the record: Djokovic has coeliac disease, which means he is intolerant to gluten found in many grains. He ascribed his incredible fitness gains to a change in diet.
 
Djokovic was always a very talented junior, about as talented as Murray. One failed to sort the mental part of the game out until late (and its still not great) and the other developed a pretty amazing will to win. Djokovic's fitness is amazing but he doesn't steam-roll opponents all the time, a lot of matches he has to pull matches back from the brink, if he was doped out why doesn't he just win in 3 saving lots of energy. I just think he has great fitness and an amazing mental game rather than taking EPO or any other banned drug. If Murray beats Federer in 5 sets today you can bet he'll spend half the match tomorrow pulling all sorts of faces and stretches against Djokovic because he's 'tired.' It's mental weakness. Fed, Nadal or Djokovic won't do that. If Murray had Djokovic's mental strength he'd be on the same amount of slams, he has a slightly better backhand, slightly better serve, and better volleys.
 
I doubt it. Tennnis, outside the grandslams at least, is really not that physically demanding for top athletes. It's more about mental strength and talent; just look at Federer.

I don't know enough about doping etc but I think we can extend it to footy as well. Most footballers average 9 - 10km in a game. I'd say the bigger concern for football is spot fixing, given that you can bet on almost anything these days.
 
Andrew~ said:
It's publicly known that Messi was given growth hormones (read: steroids) yet no one seems to have an issue with it.
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This is not the first time that I have heard someone suggesting that Messi was effectively doping as a child but FIFA/UEFA have turned a blind eye to it.
It is a highly ignorant suggestion.
 
shaggy said:
Djokovic was always a very talented junior, about as talented as Murray. One failed to sort the mental part of the game out until late (and its still not great) and the other developed a pretty amazing will to win. Djokovic's fitness is amazing but he doesn't steam-roll opponents all the time, a lot of matches he has to pull matches back from the brink, if he was doped out why doesn't he just win in 3 saving lots of energy. I just think he has great fitness and an amazing mental game rather than taking EPO or any other banned drug. If Murray beats Federer in 5 sets today you can bet he'll spend half the match tomorrow pulling all sorts of faces and stretches against Djokovic because he's 'tired.' It's mental weakness. Fed, Nadal or Djokovic won't do that. If Murray had Djokovic's mental strength he'd be on the same amount of slams, he has a slightly better backhand, slightly better serve, and better volleys.
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The advantage doping would give him would be stamina and fitness. When he goes to 5 setters he has the advantage because his opponents get tired.
 
Lynott said:
The advantage doping would give him would be stamina and fitness. When he goes to 5 setters he has the advantage because his opponents get tired.
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Fair point but his opponents often have chances to win the five setters. Federer 40-15 up serving for the match at the US Open - loses. Tsonga at the French last year, has a few match points - loses. Murray at Shanghai, match points - loses, Wawrinka this year 5-2 up in the second set - loses. There are loads more examples.
 
Lynott said:
This is not the first time that I have heard someone suggesting that Messi was effectively doping as a child but FIFA/UEFA have turned a blind eye to it.
It is a highly ignorant suggestion.
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I can't agree with that at all. He was given HGH for a growth disorder, just like any child in a developed country would be with that condition. How do you propose that it affects his performances today?

Messi's greatest talent, for me, is his equilibrium, he is able to maintain his best form for almost every game, that to me is exceptional psychological make up, the guy rarely feels any pressure.
 
shaggy said:
Fair point but his opponents often have chances to win the five setters. Federer 40-15 up serving for the match at the US Open - loses. Tsonga at the French last year, has a few match points - loses. Murray at Shanghai, match points - loses, Wawrinka this year 5-2 up in the second set - loses. There are loads more examples.
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I'm not suggesting this is the case, just that if he was doping he would have the advantages in the long matches.

He does let his opponents get leads an awful lot of the time though.
 
Jimy_Hills_Chin said:
I can't agree with that at all. He was given HGH for a growth disorder, just like any child in a developed country would be with that condition. How do you propose that it effects his performances today?

Messi's greatest talent, for me, is his equilibrium, he is able to maintain his best form for almost every game, that to me is exceptional psychological make up, the guy rarely feels any pressure.
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I completely agree with you. I think the suggestion that he 'doped' as a child is completely absurd and highly ignorant.

I thought that came through in my above post.
 
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