Doping exist in sports and cast a shadow,tennis is a sport and tennis and doping has always been an item just like its notoriety has affected sports in general, whenever it comes out in the spotlight, it resonates around the world, the most sensational back in the days was Ben Johnson the athlete from Canada who tested positive for Stanozol an anabolic steroid and was stripped of his 100m gold and world record of 9.79seconds at the Seoul Olympics in 1988, In cycling american Lance Armstrong was stripped of all his seven world tour de France titles in 2012 after an investigation convicted him, other high profile stars are the American duo Marion Jones and CJ Hunter, it was not restricted to individuals alone, Big States sponsorship of cheating was also prevalent. In Tennis they have been celebrated cases such as former world number one Simona Halep and Maria Sharapova with Andre Agassi`s use of methamphetamine a substance that was alleged to be taken by the German national team in their first world cup victory in 1954, Gasquet`s famous cocaine kiss and Martina Hingis ban for the use of benzoylecgonine similar to cocaine ooh! Maradona at the world cup in the United States in 1994,these are our super heroes, Personalities that a lot of people look up to for inspiration, when the bubble gets blown up it leaves an impression of disappointment, of pain, of insecurity. then logically, questions like when did this start, how long had it been on? what records were affected,keeps popping up…. its even worse when such sports stars are not discovered and they end their careers with an undue edge over competitors that are genuinely trying to match such unnatural standards, with legacies built on deceit.Sportumentary does not support cheating or celebrate their feats, this reality has hit tennis in its entirety, on the male side the case of Jannik Sinner comes to mind and from the female, Iga Swiatek, both were world number one players with the future of the sport firmly on their shoulders, trail blazers for their countries Italy and Poland respectively with milestones which has put them in the limelight, giving tennis and sports the impression that any country can produce the best, their cases are similar but complicated both had a sort of investigation and ban that was shrouded in silence, were they guilty? negligent? or a case of high level cover up? if it was a case of a mistake then, tennis, critics and their fans should be willing to accept them, a career can not be pulled down when innocence is involved, that in itself is worse than doping,if the action was deliberate then consequences must be faced, contrition leading to retribution is always an honorable pathway for reconciliation, for so many, the way things were handled looked like favoritism, a decision taken with such a swiftness that defied reasoning especially if compared with other similar cases but then, if they could understand and utilize the process to their advantage not in a position of guilt or self justification in trying to bend the rules but seeking to right the wrong to utilize a system that allows for the identification of the positive test outcome and provide sufficient evidence and a strong legal counsel to drive home the point with a precision and speed that is similar to an ace, a serve that guarantees a free point to their advantage, it becomes acceptable, an allegation that is proven to be accidental must be redeemed by any fair means. The line of defence is if they are innocent. These processes needs to be provided for others not just for the elite to protect them but an opportunity accessible for everyone to expedite their cases so that their careers can continue.so that the disparity in administering justice will not be looked at, as partial or vindictive. This circumstances provides a dark cloud for the Sport, a stain that must be expunged with integrity and a willingness of the Anti doping body and Tennis to improve the process and restore its credibility.
Most of the defendants claim that it was used in error and most feedback are that the substance found is not sufficient enough to induce any kind of advantage.in Sinner`s case it was less than one-billionth of a gram which was as a result of a spray used by his physiotherapist in a treatment for his finger injury with the spray containing clostebol, a substance that is banned but is available and legal to purchase over the counter in Italy. Naldi massaged Sinner`s legs and feet without a glove, a conditioning done without any direct application of the spray but as a result of physical contact in doing his work. this is an intriguing experience, if so then it becomes another narrative,a novelty that will live long in the memory, an explanation that can never be reused, we can only hope that the future will still shine more light, a necessary illumination that will make such cases clearer and define each involvement with a legacy that will not sit in neutrality, but with a vindication of cheating or redemption.a score like in tennis that does not offer a draw but defines a position and provides a result which has an outcome.
For Swiatek, her ordeal seems to be over but for Sinner the appeal for a ban from the World Anti Doping Agency from the court of Arbitration for Sport is still on. for Jannik Sinner and others, football can provide us with an insight on how to seek justice even if it will take some time, Guardiola was able to appeal and overturn his doping suspension and criminal conviction eight years later, he was tested while playing for Brescia in Italy`s serie A for nandrolone, hardly a connection,His relentless effort was worth the time, it is not a simple matter by any means, it is important that sport and tennis simply needs to get rid of dopers and alibis that will provide solace, a clean sport will go a long way and provide the needed credibility. Sinner has handled this situation with so much maturity, if he is sin less the future will remember him for his steadfastness and how he handled this distraction and still reached the pinnacle of his career atop the rankings with the biggest titles in his possession. this issue cannot be over flogged. time will unravel the truth.
