Andrey Rublev Infuriated By Current Doping Control Rules: 'It's Not Fair'
NewsWednesday, 23 April 2025 at 21:30
Andrey Rublev voiced his frustration about the current doping rules, which have been in the spotlight because of the recent doping suspensions.
Most fans see tennis players as those who hit the ball on a tennis court. However, they don't see countless hours on the practice courts, similar amount of hours in the gym, eating food that helps them to achieve the best performance, and taking supplements that help them to work harder and recover better, all of that while avoiding contamination of their food, water, and supplements.
On top of that, while doing all of those things, tennis players also have to share their location with the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) every day and every hour, regardless of whether they compete or not.
There are both in-competition and out-of-competition doping tests for tennis players, which means that they can be tested anytime and anywhere, and for that to be possible, they have to share their location with the people taking care of the tests.
If tennis players are not found at their reported location three times within 12 months, they can face a suspension, something that happened to Jenson Brooksby, who returned to the sport only recently.
For obvious reasons, it's extremely challenging to always keep in mind to report one's location, especially when tennis players' plans can change in a matter of minutes, for example, when they have different shoots or similar collaborations with their sponsors.
Speaking to the Spanish publication MARCA ahead of the 2025 Madrid Open, Rublev spoke about the difficulties that he and the rest of the players have to deal with when it comes to these tests, and the Russian player admitted that it's something that stresses him.
"It's an issue that scares me. We have to write down in a schedule where we'll be at every hour of the day. If you forget or aren't there, it's one of three mistakes. It's not fair. This makes you live in a constant state of stress."
Rublev also provided a specific example. He admitted that he forgot to adjust his location after arriving in Madrid this year, but luckily nothing bad happened in this case.
Another problem is that tennis players, and athletes in general, want to avoid contamination of any medication, something that Iga Swiatek didn't manage to do after her melatonin tablets were contaminated, and as a result, she had to serve a one-month suspension.
Because of that, Rublev tries to pay attention to what he eats, including pills, which sometimes even means he doesn't take any when he's sick.
"For example, yesterday I forgot to adjust my schedule because I came to Madrid. Luckily, nothing serious happened. Over the years, I've become wary of taking medication. If I feel sick, I avoid taking anything."
"In my case, I'm lucky to be able to talk to doctors, but that's not the case for everyone. The doubts even extend to food; there are prohibited substances even in meat. It can drive you crazy."
Popular News
Just In
