Latest news with #InternationalTennisIntegrityAgency
Daily Mail
28-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Jack Draper opens up about the 'awkward' and 'weird' side-effects of anti-doping tests as British No 1 gears up to face home favourite Gael Monfils in French Open second-round clash
Jack Draper shed light on the embarrassing side of tennis' rigorous anti-doping protocols, with the British No1 admitting that he believes it is a 'tough job' for the testers as well as the players. The 23-year-old - as with all players on the WTA and ATP tours - will be routinely subject to the sport's programme, which is overseen by the International Tennis Integrity Agency and frequently come under fire for being at times draconian in its thoroughness. At the start of the French Open, four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka opened up on a 'scary' experience she had when she was targeted by anti-doping control in Paris. Osaka was woken up at 5am for to undergo a blood test, with the tester struggling to find a vein to take a sample and leaving the player bruised from multiple attempts. But Draper managed to find a lighter side to the omnipresence of testing for players, albeit revealing how invasive testing can be. 'It's obviously a difficult moment, right?' Draper admitted when asked about his thoughts on how it feels to be watched when providing a urine sample. 'You kind of - sometimes, you push so hard that you're farting and you're right next to them. So it's a tough job for them as well. 'I always keep that in mind, some people get annoyed and stuff because it is a very intimate situation. But at the end of the day, I feel for that person as well. It's their job. 'But it is sometimes difficult as well. If it's really late and stuff and you want to get cracking on with whatever you're doing next (...) you've got to wait around and do that for a long time. 'It's difficult because you're losing sleep. But I also think it's a tough job for them as well. It's not easy. Some awkward moments for sure.' Tennis players must make themselves available for potential testing at all times and provide their current location in order to ensure they do not miss a drugs test - which could itself incur a suspension. There is greater noise around anti-doping too, in the wake of two high-profile suspensions on the men's and women's tours for world number one Jannik Sinner and former world number one Iga Swiatek. Sinner has just returned from a three-months suspension after coming to an agreement with the World Anti-Doping Agency in February. WADA had previously appealed Sinner's initial verdict which had found him cleared of negligence or liability after testing positive for banned substance clostebol in March 2024. Sinner argued that his physiotherapist had contaminated him after using the steroid cream for a cut on his finger, and subsequently giving him treatment. Swiatek was handed a one-month ban in September after testing positive for trimetazidine in August of last year, which was found to have been present through contamination of her prescribed melatonin at the production stage. Emma Raducanu admitted earlier this month that the recent suspensions had made her almost paranoid about taking medication, even if it is not on the prohibited list. 'I don't want to take anything even if the doctors are saying you should take this - just out of risk of contamination,' Raducanu said. 'Even if it's not prohibited on the anti-doping list, you don't know if it's contaminated by another product. 'It can show a green tick, but if it's contaminated you will still get screwed over. We could go to a restaurant and someone could put something in our drink. It's really hard, especially if you are noticeable and the waiter recognises you. It's something I do worry about - nervous every time.' Draper will continue his work in Paris after beating Mattia Bellucci 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-2 in his first-round clash, but faces a hostile atmosphere in Paris in his next match. The Indian Wells champion will play home favourite Gael Monfils after the French veteran came through against Hugo Dellien in five sets late on Tuesday night.
The Star
23-05-2025
- Sport
- The Star
Tennis-Holder Swiatek faces tough challenge to French Open dominance
FILE PHOTO: Tennis - Italian Open - Foro Italico, Rome, Italy - May 8, 2025 Poland's Iga Swiatek reacts during her round of 64 match against Italy's Elisabetta Cocciaretto REUTERS/Aleksandra Szmigiel/File Photo BERLIN (Reuters) - Four-times French Open champion Iga Swiatek will face a serious challenge to her dominance of the tournament this month, with the former world number one going to Paris on the back of a disappointing season so far. Poland's Swiatek, who has dropped to fifth in the world rankings, has so far failed to win a title this year despite a few deep runs in tournaments, including the Australian Open semi-finals. The 23-year-old has already lost nine matches this season - as many as in all of 2024 - while she has not reached a claycourt final ahead of her bid to retain the French Open. A one-month doping ban late last year may have played its part with Swiatek having tested positive for the banned substance trimetazidine in August 2024. She returned to action in October after the International Tennis Integrity Agency accepted the explanation that Swiatek's positive test was caused by contamination of her sleep medication melatonin. Winner of the last three French Open crowns, Swiatek has been lacking the punching power and precision that have seen her claim five Grand Slam titles and she has failed to make any mark on clay this year ahead of Paris. A semi-final spot in Madrid was her best showing before an early exit in Rome added to her season's troubles earlier in May. But Swiatek has been more effective on the Paris clay than any female player of the past two decades and her early arrival in the French capital last week, more than 10 days before the tournament starts, showed she is serious about retaining her title and getting her season back on track. It will not be easy though with world number one Aryna Sabalenka the most consistent of all the top players with three titles so far this season and another three finals. Sabalenka has never reached the final in Paris, with the Belarusian's power game more suited to faster surfaces, but her title win on clay in Madrid set her up nicely for Paris. A one-time semi-finalist at Roland Garros, Sabalenka will hope to go at least one better with Swiatek struggling for form. American Coco Gauff, a losing French Open finalist to Swiatek in 2022 who has made at least the quarter-finals each year since 2021, also has high hopes, having reached the final in Rome in a solid run-up to the tournament. She lost to Italy's Jasmine Paolini, who also beat her in Stuttgart, having been beaten by Sabalenka in the Madrid final. Paolini, beaten by Swiatek in last year's French Open final, earned a stunning victory in Rome - the first Italian woman to win the title there in 40 years - sending out a warning to other contenders in Paris. Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva was a surprise semi-finalist last year but this time round few would bet against the 18-year-old Russian going further in the tournament. (Reporting by Karolos Grohmann; Editing by Ken Ferris)
Business Recorder
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Business Recorder
Holder Swiatek faces tough challenge to French Open dominance
BERLIN: Four-times French Open champion Iga Swiatek will face a serious challenge to her dominance of the tournament this month, with the former world number one going to Paris on the back of a disappointing season so far. Poland's Swiatek, who has dropped to fifth in the world rankings, has so far failed to win a title this year despite a few deep runs in tournaments, including the Australian Open semi-finals. The 23-year-old has already lost nine matches this season - as many as in all of 2024 - while she has not reached a claycourt final ahead of her bid to retain the French Open. A one-month doping ban late last year may have played its part with Swiatek having tested positive for the banned substance trimetazidine in August 2024. She returned to action in October after the International Tennis Integrity Agency accepted the explanation that Swiatek's positive test was caused by contamination of her sleep medication melatonin. Winner of the last three French Open crowns, Swiatek has been lacking the punching power and precision that have seen her claim five Grand Slam titles and she has failed to make any mark on clay this year ahead of Paris. A semi-final spot in Madrid was her best showing before an early exit in Rome added to her season's troubles earlier in May. Djokovic within two wins of 100th title as he turns 38 But Swiatek has been more effective on the Paris clay than any female player of the past two decades and her early arrival in the French capital last week, more than 10 days before the tournament starts, showed she is serious about retaining her title and getting her season back on track. It will not be easy though with world number one Aryna Sabalenka the most consistent of all the top players with three titles so far this season and another three finals. Sabalenka has never reached the final in Paris, with the Belarusian's power game more suited to faster surfaces, but her title win on clay in Madrid set her up nicely for Paris. A one-time semi-finalist at Roland Garros, Sabalenka will hope to go at least one better with Swiatek struggling for form. American Coco Gauff, a losing French Open finalist to Swiatek in 2022 who has made at least the quarter-finals each year since 2021, also has high hopes, having reached the final in Rome in a solid run-up to the tournament. She lost to Italy's Jasmine Paolini, who also beat her in Stuttgart, having been beaten by Sabalenka in the Madrid final. Paolini, beaten by Swiatek in last year's French Open final, earned a stunning victory in Rome - the first Italian woman to win the title there in 40 years - sending out a warning to other contenders in Paris. Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva was a surprise semi-finalist last year but this time round few would bet against the 18-year-old Russian going further in the tournament.
CNA
23-05-2025
- Sport
- CNA
Holder Swiatek faces tough challenge to French Open dominance
BERLIN : Four-times French Open champion Iga Swiatek will face a serious challenge to her dominance of the tournament this month, with the former world number one going to Paris on the back of a disappointing season so far. Poland's Swiatek, who has dropped to fifth in the world rankings, has so far failed to win a title this year despite a few deep runs in tournaments, including the Australian Open semi-finals. The 23-year-old has already lost nine matches this season - as many as in all of 2024 - while she has not reached a claycourt final ahead of her bid to retain the French Open. A one-month doping ban late last year may have played its part with Swiatek having tested positive for the banned substance trimetazidine in August 2024. She returned to action in October after the International Tennis Integrity Agency accepted the explanation that Swiatek's positive test was caused by contamination of her sleep medication melatonin. Winner of the last three French Open crowns, Swiatek has been lacking the punching power and precision that have seen her claim five Grand Slam titles and she has failed to make any mark on clay this year ahead of Paris. A semi-final spot in Madrid was her best showing before an early exit in Rome added to her season's troubles earlier in May. But Swiatek has been more effective on the Paris clay than any female player of the past two decades and her early arrival in the French capital last week, more than 10 days before the tournament starts, showed she is serious about retaining her title and getting her season back on track. It will not be easy though with world number one Aryna Sabalenka the most consistent of all the top players with three titles so far this season and another three finals. Sabalenka has never reached the final in Paris, with the Belarusian's power game more suited to faster surfaces, but her title win on clay in Madrid set her up nicely for Paris. A one-time semi-finalist at Roland Garros, Sabalenka will hope to go at least one better with Swiatek struggling for form. American Coco Gauff, a losing French Open finalist to Swiatek in 2022 who has made at least the quarter-finals each year since 2021, also has high hopes, having reached the final in Rome in a solid run-up to the tournament. She lost to Italy's Jasmine Paolini, who also beat her in Stuttgart, having been beaten by Sabalenka in the Madrid final. Paolini, beaten by Swiatek in last year's French Open final, earned a stunning victory in Rome - the first Italian woman to win the title there in 40 years - sending out a warning to other contenders in Paris. Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva was a surprise semi-finalist last year but this time round few would bet against the 18-year-old Russian going further in the tournament.
Straits Times
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Straits Times
Holder Swiatek faces tough challenge to French Open dominance
FILE PHOTO: Tennis - Italian Open - Foro Italico, Rome, Italy - May 8, 2025 Poland's Iga Swiatek reacts during her round of 64 match against Italy's Elisabetta Cocciaretto REUTERS/Aleksandra Szmigiel/File Photo BERLIN - Four-times French Open champion Iga Swiatek will face a serious challenge to her dominance of the tournament this month, with the former world number one going to Paris on the back of a disappointing season so far. Poland's Swiatek, who has dropped to fifth in the world rankings, has so far failed to win a title this year despite a few deep runs in tournaments, including the Australian Open semi-finals. The 23-year-old has already lost nine matches this season - as many as in all of 2024 - while she has not reached a claycourt final ahead of her bid to retain the French Open. A one-month doping ban late last year may have played its part with Swiatek having tested positive for the banned substance trimetazidine in August 2024. She returned to action in October after the International Tennis Integrity Agency accepted the explanation that Swiatek's positive test was caused by contamination of her sleep medication melatonin. Winner of the last three French Open crowns, Swiatek has been lacking the punching power and precision that have seen her claim five Grand Slam titles and she has failed to make any mark on clay this year ahead of Paris. A semi-final spot in Madrid was her best showing before an early exit in Rome added to her season's troubles earlier in May. But Swiatek has been more effective on the Paris clay than any female player of the past two decades and her early arrival in the French capital last week, more than 10 days before the tournament starts, showed she is serious about retaining her title and getting her season back on track. It will not be easy though with world number one Aryna Sabalenka the most consistent of all the top players with three titles so far this season and another three finals. Sabalenka has never reached the final in Paris, with the Belarusian's power game more suited to faster surfaces, but her title win on clay in Madrid set her up nicely for Paris. A one-time semi-finalist at Roland Garros, Sabalenka will hope to go at least one better with Swiatek struggling for form. American Coco Gauff, a losing French Open finalist to Swiatek in 2022 who has made at least the quarter-finals each year since 2021, also has high hopes, having reached the final in Rome in a solid run-up to the tournament. She lost to Italy's Jasmine Paolini, who also beat her in Stuttgart, having been beaten by Sabalenka in the Madrid final. Paolini, beaten by Swiatek in last year's French Open final, earned a stunning victory in Rome - the first Italian woman to win the title there in 40 years - sending out a warning to other contenders in Paris. Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva was a surprise semi-finalist last year but this time round few would bet against the 18-year-old Russian going further in the tournament. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
