Novak Djokovic 'did not refuse' doping test according to ITIA amid Davis Cup fiasco
OtherThursday, 30 November 2023 at 17:49
Novak Djokovic's doping test fiasco has come to some sort of a conclusion with the International Tennis Integrity Authority (ITIA) coming out in support of the 24-time Grand Slam champion.
Djokovic expressed frustration and dismay as he was made to do a surprise doping test only an hour and a half before playing Cameron Norrie in his Quarter-Final against Great Britain.
But Djokovic said that he was preparing for his match and it was 'illogical' so didn't take the test before the match resulting in the anti-doping controller following him around for hours before they finally concluded said tests.
“It’s the first time it’s happened to me. It doesn’t make sense to do it when I’ll be there after the match. They gave me an hour and a half’s notice. I have my pre-match routines and I don’t have to think at that point about donating blood or urine," said Djokovic.
"I argued with him because that hasn’t happened to me in my 20-year career. He sat in a corner and followed me for hours. It was outrageous. I’ve always defended controls, but not before matches. There’s nothing to hide, but there have to be certain limits.”
Players were asked to submit before or after
Other reports say that Djokovic refused to comply, but the ITIA have stated that he didn't miss the test as all players had the choice to submit it before or after.
"The first thing to say is that Djokovic did not refuse the test. The rules state that when a player is notified, they must provide a sample as soon as they can. In team competitions such as the Davis Cup, players may be informed before a match, whereas in other competitions testing usually takes place after the match. The procedure has not been changed, either for this event or for the player," said a report in L'Equipe.
"In Davis Cup, teams are notified before the start of the match.
"This allows players to choose if they prefer to do it before their match, otherwise it will be after, a member of the organization told us. They have a choice. Some players prefer to do it before, it frees them up after the meeting, which is also not bad, they avoid staying on site too long after the end of a meeting..."
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Samuel Gill is the Chief Content Officer (CCO) of TennisUpToDate.com, a role he has held since 2020. He is responsible for editorial governance across the platform, including setting content standards, overseeing accuracy and consistency, and guiding long-term editorial strategy. Since joining, he has contributed more than 10,000 articles and editorial pieces across the TennisUpToDate network, playing a central role in the daily operation and development of the site.
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