Tennis

[Northerner]

Story:

Another little-known player, the Chilean Barbara Gatica (ranked 211 in singles, 165 in doubles) has tested positive for Boldenone at the same event (she and Tara Moore actually played against each other in the doubles).

The contaminated meat defence is obviously going to be in play here. The Colombian tennis player Robert Farah (a grand slam champion in doubles) used it to get off on the same charge in 2020. Other Colombians have been banned though, including 2018 World Keirin champion Fabian Puerta.

They'll probably get off if they can afford decent lawyers, but that has to be questionable for players at this level. (Puerta apparently blamed a lack of funds among other things for not getting his ban overturned)

 

[nayr497]

And there goes Serena, aged 40. Did she turn pro at 17? So...twenty-three years near the top of the sport? Sounds reasonable.

 

[tyson766]

Good news. A blatant doper holding the mens record is bad enough, a blatant doper holding the womens record would have been a joke.

 

[BullsFan22]

Hope Serena took her drugs and TUE’s with her.

 

[topt]

And there goes Serena, aged 40. Did she turn pro at 17? So...twenty-three years near the top of the sport? Sounds reasonable.

every doper should have a safe room

 

[nayr497]

I'm in awe of how much they're celebrating her career, calling her the greatest of all time, on and on...and NOTHING about her safe room or highly suspicious behavior or wildly lenghty career.

I guess average tennis fans are just happy to enjoy the celebrations and not question anything.

 

[Mayomaniac]

every doper should have a safe room

An anti-WADA panic room.

 

[Sciatic]

I'm in awe of how much they're celebrating her career, calling her the greatest of all time, on and on...and NOTHING about her safe room or highly suspicious behavior or wildly lenghty career.

I guess average tennis fans are just happy to enjoy the celebrations and not question anything.

There’s no way in the world that any criticism or dirt will be brought up about her over here right now, not just because it’s tennis and she is the GOAT but also because of our current social-political environment re: race. Many years later some things could leak out or get addressed, but probably not even then.

 

[Bolder]

I see Nadal as a much more obvious (and implicated) fraud.

 

[BullsFan22]

There’s no way in the world that any criticism or dirt will be brought up about her over here right now, not just because it’s tennis and she is the GOAT but also because of our current social-political environment re: race. Many years later some things could leak out or get addressed, but probably not even then.

Maybe she burned some bridges along the way ala Lance, and someone gets the ball rolling (no pun intended).

 

[Red Rick]

Serena is basically a religion in a sport where nobody really cares about doping or thinks everyone cleanz. Dirt will never come out.

 

[BullsFan22]

Aaaaand we have a nice replacement for Nadal brewing…

 

[Red Rick]

Aaaaand we have a nice replacement for Nadal brewing…

Nobody escapes from Alcaraz.

Will be interesting if he still has a deep gas tank in the final after 3 conescutive 5 setters.

But then I don't think Ruud is a great matchup for him so he probably wins in 3.

 

[Krzysztof_O]

Nobody escapes from Alcaraz.

Will be interesting if he still has a deep gas tank in the final after 3 conescutive 5 setters.

But then I don't think Ruud is a great matchup for him so he probably wins in 3.

Yeah, Carlos looks like another physical freak in the clean sport of tennis. He should feel tired in the final but I think he will be ready for another 5-setter Then again, I'd like him to win.

 

[BullsFan22]

Ruud only titles have come at 250 level events, he’s not even made a semi at a Masters. He’s had two GS final runs this season. It also didn’t hurt that Djokovic isn’t at the USO, that Medvedev had some injury problems in the spring and early summer, Berettini had a bout with Covid-19.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Nobody escapes from Alcaraz.

Will be interesting if he still has a deep gas tank in the final after 3 conescutive 5 setters.

But then I don't think Ruud is a great matchup for him so he probably wins in 3.

Our local guy Sinner has actually given him a run for his money a few times this year, so I hope that it's gonna be at least competitive in the coming years.

 

[masking_agent]

Serena is basically a religion in a sport where nobody really cares about doping or thinks everyone cleanz. Dirt will never come out.

Exactly. Well said.

 

[nayr497]

Agreed! This is a perfect way to characterize the public's approach to Serena Williams.

The New York Times and New Yorker can't stop raving about her. It's as if nobody has even considered PEDs or heard of that really likeable guy Lance.

Yup, she's a religious figure in the minds of many. Breaking the color barrier in a mostly white sport is definitely incredible, but I feel like I know of another American who did this and he kinda probably had a serious PED problem at one point...

**Not at all making light of racial barriers in the U.S., but addressing one aspect of why nobody wants to go near Serena and PEDs.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Simona Halep: Former world number one provisionally suspended for doping offence

Two-time Grand Slam champion Simona Halep is provisionally suspended from tennis after testing positive for a banned substance.

www.bbc.com

finally

 

[Eclipse]

I wonder if the end of the golden children of modern tennis will result in slightly more stringent testing protocols.

 

[Red Rick]

Actually a fun drug. I'm impressed.

 

[Tricycle Rider]

Simona Halep: Former world number one provisionally suspended for doping offence

Two-time Grand Slam champion Simona Halep is provisionally suspended from tennis after testing positive for a banned substance.

www.bbc.com

finally

Have nothing against Halep personally, but - why pop her at this particular time?

 

[Calin897]

Have nothing against Halep personally, but - why pop her at this particular time?

I don't know why,but the media and celebrities here in Romania are in full force to back her claims. I don't really know what happened,but why it took nearly 2 months to anounce the positive test? The match between her and Snigur took place on 28th of august. If she doped she should be suspended. But one question still remains: who convinced her to do that?Is it Mouratoglou?Is it somebody else?She had a poor 2022 season. The only highlights were QF at Wimbledon and winning Montreal. I won't condemn her yet,because I don't know if she took Roxadustat knowing she might get caught red-handed. If she gets convicted,her career is over. She's 31.

 

[Axel Hangleck]

A top level tennis player failing a drug test? WTF.......I thought tennis was clean......

 

[Melo]

It's always baffling to me that every time a top athlete gets popped, the average Joe is always shocked, even after all that transpired in sports over the years. I read comments on FB or Twitter and there are persons that are absolutely dismayed and don't want to believe that someone can dope in sports.

And returning to Halep, it's interesting that one line in her statement that says: "I feel completely confused and BETRAYED"; betrayed by whom?