Australia’s
Nick Kyrgios has landed himself in hot water after responding to a claim that former world number
one
Andy Roddick might have doped in his career with ‘magic cream’. The 29-year-old is one of the
most outspoken players in the world of tennis and has often been involved in
controversies as well.
The former world number 13 has recently reposted a
comment of a user on social media who stated that the former American tennis
star must have been involved in
doping himself which is why he has defended the
men’s world number one
Jannik Sinner and women’s world number two
Iga Swiatek
despite them being involved in doping scandals. He laughed it off with the original tweet now deleted saying 'Hahaha most likely'.
Italy’s Sinner has been involved in a doping scandal. He
tested positive for banned substance clostebol in March in two doping tests.
Interestingly, he managed to escape the ban after the International Tennis
Integrity Agency (ITIA) accepted the player’s counsel response where they
claimed that the availability of the banned substance in the player’s sample
was because of receiving a cream for the treatment of an injury from one member
of the coaching staff. On the other hand, women’s world number two Swiatek received
a one-month suspension after being tested positive for the angina drug
trimetazidine.
Both decisions received widespread criticism from some quarters
of the tennis community, who called for equal treatment of all players involved
in such scandals. On the other hand, both players received some support from
the tennis community as well, where some big-name players, including Roddick, stated
that both deserved a chance for redemption, especially after having minimal
quantity in their sample. Another player who come to the defence of the two
elite players is former English player Mark Petchey, who criticised Kyrgios as
well.
"Nick is fed up,” he said. “He must cut it out: Sinner
has been found innocent, or am I wrong? In a few weeks the WADA appeal will be
examined and we simply have to wait for the process to take its course. It is a
very serious matter, which must be treated with kid gloves, with care and with
seriousness, because the career of a colleague is at stake.”