The International Tennis Federation (ITF) will review their anti-doping program, according to comments made by the World Anti-Doping Agency president Craig Reedie.
Reedie spoke about Sharapova’s failed drugs test with sports service Omnisport. On Monday Sharapova confirmed that she has tested positive for meldonium, a substance which was added to the WADA’s list of banned substances on January 1st this year. Reedie has praised both Sharapova and the ITF’s management of the case, however, the WADA president is confident that the ITF will review their anti-doping program.
“One of the issues with tennis is to decide when you’re in competition and out of competition. Racquet sports are different [to athletics], but I think their program is sound”. Reedie recently said.
“And after what has happened over the last 48 hours, I am absolutely certain that the ITF will be looking at the program and working out if there is anything they can do to make that better.”
The comments are a sharp contrast to those made by the former head of the WADA, Dick Pound. Pound was highly critical of Sharapova’s failed drugs test. At a recent anti-doping conference in London, the Canadian lawyer suggested that the use of meldonium was widespread in tennis.
“Clearly within the tennis circle, at least they were aware that a lot of the players were using it and they said, ‘There must be something to this’.” Pound was quoted by The Telegraph as saying.
Sharapova’s ignorance of the WADA list of banned substances isn’t an isolated incident. Other players have also admitted that they don’t check the WADA list of banned substances. Petra kvitova has said that she doesn’t have to check it because ‘she only take vitamins‘. Meanwhile, Agnieszka Radwanska said the job of checking the list lies with her doctor and agent.
The laid-back approach has led to some questioning the credibility of the ITF’s anti-doping programme. There are currently only eight players suspended for doping (not counting Sharapova).
