Tennis doping procedures have become a hot topic recently, sparked by high-profile cases involving Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek last year. Speaking ahead of his opening match at the Madrid Open against Roberto Bautista Agut, Alexander Zverev didn’t hold back in criticizing the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) for its stringent rules and practices.
“It’s just a subject that we’ve been talking about more over the last year, or not year, half a year or so, because of, obviously, Jannik and Iga a little bit. But, in general, nothing really changes for us, nothing changed,” Zverev stated during his pre-tournament press conference.
The German star highlighted the inconvenience of current protocols, which require players to provide detailed daily whereabouts for random testing. He argued that these procedures often overstep boundaries and can interfere with personal plans.
“It is an annoying process, I have to be honest, because we have to be at a certain place every single day where we kind of give our details of where we’re going to be for like an hour a day,” Zverev said. “But at the same time, if they show up not in the hour that we gave them, you still have to come back to the place”.
Alexander Zverev of Germany talks to the media during a press conference during day one of the BMW Open. (Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images for BMW)
Recalling a frustrating experience
Zverev shared a personal anecdote to illustrate the inconvenience caused by inconsistent adherence to these protocols by doping control officers. “It was end of last year or so in December, where I was, I think I was picking up my daughter from the airport in Nice, and then doping control, they, my slot is like at 7:00 or 8:00 a.m., right, and they came at 9:00 p.m.,” he recounted.
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Zverev expressed frustration with the lack of flexibility, calling the incident an infringement on his personal freedom. “They call me, like, ‘You have to come back.’ I’m like, ‘I can’t, I’m picking up a three-year-old child.’ They’re like, ‘No, you have to come back, doesn’t matter what happens,’” he added.
The 28-year-old wrapped up his remarks with a sharp critique of the procedures, arguing that the strict rules WADA enforces on players aren’t always followed by its own officers.
“Just because you decided that you want to show up at a random time and not at the time slot that you are given doesn’t mean that I have to completely change my plans and leave everything and all of a sudden be available to you. That’s not right, in my opinion,” Zverev concluded.
Sinner ready to make his comeback
Jannik Sinner’s suspension stemming from a positive test for clostebol during last season’s Indian Wells tournament stirred significant debate. The banned substance reportedly entered his system due to an oversight by his physiotherapist, who handled him without gloves after coming into contact with the substance. This critical detail enabled Sinner to reach an agreement with WADA, sparing him from what could have been a career-defining two-year suspension.
The World No. 1’s suspension is set to conclude on May 4, clearing him to compete at the Italian Open in Rome, which kicks off just two days later. Additionally, he is expected to feature in the Roland Garros draw, with the French Open slated to begin on May 25.
