Is the Troicki Suspension Only the Tip of the Iceberg for PED in Tennis?

By
at Internationaled.org

Published: July 29, 2013

commentComment        

The International Tennis Federation might have finally woken up.

The past couple of years, as PED-talk has taken over the sports world, things have been rather quiet on the tennis front. 

Everyone, including the players, have been clear that the system needs an overhaul.



But, last week the ITF dropped a bomb on the tennis community when they announced that 27-year-old Viktor Troicki had been suspended from the ATP World Tour for 18 months for failing to give a blood test at the Monte Carlo Rolex Masters earlier this year.

Nobody knows yet if this is a one-off muscle flex, or a sign of things to come. But the Troicki case is certainly a significant one, and the ITF seems to be sending a message to other players that they have power and are not afraid to (occasionally and erratically) wield it.



Troicki is a high-profile player, at least compared to the lowly players that the ITF usually "catches." Though he's currently ranked No. 56 in the world, the Serb was as high as No. 12 in 2011. He is a veteran on the tour and has close ties to many top players, including his Davis Cup teammate Novak Djokovic.

In fact, Djokovic even signed a witness statement to support Troicki.

This case further points out the inadequacy in blood testing in tennis. Reports confirmed that Troicki had only taken five blood tests in his entire 10 years as an ATP player. That is an absurdly low number, and confirms that the ITF anti-doping program has a long way to go.

Troicki's claiming innocence because he never actually failed a blood test. He stated that he didn't want to give blood when it was initially requested because he did not feel well and has a big fear of needles. However, he did give a blood test the next morning, and is sticking by the fact that this blood test was negative so he should not be banned.

But, as the Lance Armstrong case pr...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Tennis

Latest News


Comments

Comments are closed.

Sponsors

Bruins Tickets The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston, Massachusetts. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League.

Red Wings Tickets The Detroit Red Wings are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit, Michigan. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League.

Penguins Tickets The Pittsburgh Penguins are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League.

New York Rangers Tickets play their home games at Madison Square Garden, they are one of the oldest teams in the NHL, having joined in 1926 as an expansion franchise, and are part of the group of teams referred to as the Original Six.

San Jose Sharks Tickets The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States.

Toronto Maple Leafs Tickets The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League.

New Jersey Devils Tickets The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League.

Washington Capitals Tickets The Washington Capitals are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C.

Buffalo Sabres Tickets The Buffalo Sabres are a professional ice hockey team based in Buffalo, New York. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League. Get the Sabres and all of your NHL Tickets here.

NASCAR season is on of the most attended sports in the world. NASCAR Tickets to the best tracks is a must every year. Some of these tracks are: Talladega Tickets, Lowes Motor Speedway Tickets, Pocono Raceway Tickets, located in Ridgeway Virginia you have Martinsville Speedway Tickets and southern US you have two of the most popular Atlanta Motor Speedway Tickets and Texas Motor Speedway Tickets. Don't miss all the racing events this year!

Boston Red Sox Tickets The Boston Red Sox are a member of the Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Since 1912, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park. This is one of the hottest MLB Tickets sales of any team in the major league.

New York Yankees Tickets The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the borough of the Bronx, in New York City, New York and are a member of Major League Baseball's American League East Division. Get tickets to one of the hottest games of the season Yankees Red Sox Tickets.

Chicago Cubs Tickets The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League.

Phillies Tickets The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883.

Orioles Tickets The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland.

Do you love wrestling? Get your WWE Tickets and WWE Survivor Series Tickets today!