Verdasco suspended: Kyrgios “not surprised”, “legal doping” for Opelka

“I can’t say I’m surprised“, commented the Australian, laconic. A heavy implication: Kyrgios would therefore have long suspected Verdasco of taking prohibited substances intended to improve his performance on a tennis court. It must be said that the two players do not Kyrgios had already railed against each other on social media four years ago, with the Australian criticizing the Spaniard’s attitude during a match against his friend Thanasi Kokkinakis. Kyrgios later considered Verdasco the “most arrogant person“that he met.

Medicines widely used on the circuit?

But beyond Kyrgios’ sour retweet, news of Verdasco testing positive for the central nervous system stimulant methylphenidate has untied other tongues. Former player and consultant for American television Pam Shriver explained in particular that she had collected numerous testimonies from players on the subject.

The use of this drug, which improves concentration during matches, would thus be very widespread on the circuit. According to an anonymous player quoted by American journalist Ben Rothenberg, “half of the current World Top 100 or more” would be concerned. The question of the granting of TUEs of convenience in order to derive a sporting gain from them is thus directly posed.

Opelka: “It’s one of the biggest problems in tennis”

Reilly Opelka, currently 38th player in the world, has also set foot in the dish, pronouncing the taboo word. “It’s one of the biggest problems in tennis right now… Why are some guys taking this kind of drugs for the first time in their lives as adults? legal doping.”

Attention disorders with (or without) hyperactivity are thus most often detected in children. The potential wide use of drugs on the circuit can therefore say as much about the extent of the mental health problems that affect players as about the abuse to improve performance.