Serena Williams has become the latest high-profile baller to come out against the new anti-doping measures aka the WADA code.
The current WTA Penthouse resident, who crushed Karolina Sprem 6-1, 6-2 in Paris today, has joined Rafael Nadal + Andy Murray in calling the new measures too extreme:
I think it's too much. It's very invasive. ... Basically, they show up at your house on any day.However, ReRe does believe the measures, though stringent, will keep the doping cases to a minimum (which they are relative to a lot of other sports):
I jump from city to city all the time. First of all, I never tell people where I am because I like to do my own thing.
It's definitely the purest sport, that's the only upside to it. We won't have problems in tennis that we have in other sports.I still believe testing is needed to keep integrity in tennis but the WADA measures are too extreme.
(image via AP)
Eh? Wasn't she FOR it initially? I think I have the article in one of my posts.
ReplyDeleteRich you have to write a post abour Grigor Dimitrov!What a great performance today against Nadal!Little kid has a great future apparently, and he is quite good-looking!!They are calling him next Roger Federer, he has one handed backhand, but also he's fast like Nadal!Welcome aboard Grigor!:)
ReplyDeleteThe WADA measures are extreme, but I'd rather have this type of testing than no testing at all or testing that is completely useless - like only testing tennis players during competition which wouldn't catch any except the most stupid dopers.
ReplyDeleteIt needs to be done year-round and the only way to do it randomly is for them to know where to reach you when they need to. This also prevents doping players from skipping tests on purpose. The players can inform WADA even if it's last minute by e-mail or phone if their schedule changes which gives them some flexibility in their schedules.
For the most part tennis is a very clean sport (especially when compared to other pro sports), but a stringent testing program still needs to be in place.
Who's talking about no testing at all?! The issue here is that these people want to know your whereabouts EVERY DAMN DAY OF THE YEAR. What if you want to do a "your place or mine"? Where's privacy?
ReplyDeleteDo you people want Mike Bryan, world friggin No. 1 doubles player to be suspended for 2 years? Because he's already missed 2 appointments, not because he's some doper or something, but because he once had a flat tyre and the second time he had simply staid longer in town having breakfast and was late to return home. It is three strikes and out policy.
Come on, stop talking about doping, start talking about simple logistics of this. And about red-tape thinking. There must be a more sensible approach.
Like Serena said, "I want to do my thing".
babz: bust it out!
ReplyDeletetessa: yes, he's quite the looker already. must...post...about...QT
mina/anon: there must be a middle ground. there needs to be SOME testing and during non-tourney time but that's even hard to find. but to say they need to tell them where they are every day for an hour a day and then for the upcoming three months where they'll be.
That's crazy - I don't know where I'll be this weekend at all!
Anon 6:36pm - you need to read my post more carefully. I said that the alternatives were no testing (which obviously makes no sense) OR testing that is toned down from current WADA policy (but potentially less accurate). I said that I preferred stricter testing (current WADA policies) with greater accuracy and potential to catch cheaters than lacklustre testing policies.
ReplyDeleteOf course I wouldn't want someone like Mike Bryan suspended because I don't think he's a doper and he had a legit reason for missing ONE of his appointments. If he had a flat tire and can prove it somehow, there should be allowances for appointments missed because of unforeseen an unpreventable reasons. If he was late during breakfast and forgot when to be back home then that's his own darn fault. He also had a the opportunity to notify them via e-mail or phone (even last minute) if there was to be a change in location or time. He knows the WADA rules and has to follow them or suffer the repercussions (1 strike against him out of 3).
The rules are very strict, but all Olympics athletes have to follow them. Correct if I'm wrong about this, but I think that if tennis wants to still be an Olympic sport they need to follow WADA regulations (or something comparable) just as all other Olympic sports do.
I agree with you, Rich, that there can be a more balanced middle ground - I can go along with that, but I haven't seen anyone actually suggest SPECIFICS about what this would entail and how it would affect the accuracy of testing. Do you have people only tell you where they'll be for a few select weeks or days during the year? If that's the case, then couldn't dopers just make sure that they are clean during those time periods? Seems too easy to work around that rule.
In any case, as I stated in an earlier comment, this is probably all for show anyway. The ATP and WTA will tone the rules down eventually, but for now they want to take a hard stand and milk the PR out of it. Their approach will soften over time and then the players won't have to whine and cry anymore about it.
My opinion on this hasn't changed and it never will. Those are measures like in a surveillance society. Tennis players are neither criminals nor prisoners, so stop treating them like such!
ReplyDeleteDon't we have anything else to worry about?
RIDICULOUS MADNESS.
http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/tennis/news/story?id=3874733&campaign=rss&source=TENNISHeadlines
ReplyDeleteSomewhere in this article it says Williamses are NOT against this particular rule.