Federer calls for consistent global test on doping
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ROGER Federer believes tennis does not face a major doping problem but voiced concern that drug testing protocols are not being taken seriously enough in certain parts of the world.
The record 17-time grand slam singles champion spoke at the Miami Open, where he will end an eight-week knee injury layoff.
Third-ranked Federer believes there should be more consistency in the hunt for dope cheats.
“I’ve been in Dubai for 10 years now and been tested once. That’s not OK for me,” the 34-year-old Swiss said.
“I get tested more in Switzerland because the guy from Switzerland lives in my village. He comes to see me the day after my surgery.
“In certain countries, maybe the testing is not as serious as in Switzerland. I would like to see that across the board to be the same way and fair. But I think tennis is doing more and more. I really don’t think there is a major problem.
“Tennis is doing a lot better than it has in the past. We’re getting more professional. The program is getting bigger and stronger.”
Federer said he was shocked to learn that Russian star Maria Sharapova, a four-time grand slam singles champion, tested positive at the Australian Open for meldonium, which was added to the World Anti-Doping Agency’s ban list on January 1.
“It was very disappointing news to say the least,” Federer said. “Clearly I was very surprised. I thought she was going to announce retirement or something. But it also shows the famous players can get caught in the system that seems to be working.”
Sharapova said she did not check updated lists to see what changes were made to the banned list for 2016.
27 Russian athletes tested positive for meldonium
Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko said yesterday that 27 of the country’s athletes have tested positive for meldonium since the endurance-boosting drug was banned on January 1.
“Twenty-seven have tested positive for meldonium and there are some 127 cases in the world,” Mutko told R-Sport news agency. “But these figures can change.”
Meldonium was propelled into the headlines earlier this month after Russian tennis star Maria Sharapova announced she had tested positive for the drug at the Australian Open in January. Since then, a string of high-profile Russian athletes, including Olympic swimmer Yulia Efimova, admitted the drug had been detected in their systems.
Russia’s scandal-ridden athletics federation, suspended in November after a WADA independent commission found evidence of state-sponsored doping in Russian track and field, announced four meldonium cases among its athletes earlier this week.
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