Back in 2003 the ATP cleared several players of doping by claiming the ATP trainers mistakenly gave them contaminated substances. I've always thought that was a cover up by the ATP. A few months later Rusedski gets caught doping he claimed he too received the contaminated substance but it was widely reported that that Rusedski's positive test happened AFTER the ATP had destroyed the supposedly contaminated substance. It's so obvious Rusedski committed a doping offense. How could Rusedski escape punishment? Why hasn't any of the tennis writers done investigative reports and look into these things?

Tennis wants to preserve the image of being a clean sport but the best way to be clean is to punish those who are dirty. Agassi confirmed my gut feeling about corruption at the highest levels in tennis and for that I thank him for coming forward. Unfortunately, I think in a few months this too will be swept under the rug.

Guess coming forward 12 years after the fact is better than not at all. Do you think he might be coming forward now so as to help promote the book?

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What book?  ha ha.  Hell of a promotion job, by the way...I am dying to get my hands on this thing.  I was shaking reading my S.I. last night...

  If it is published in a book that is widely distributed and written by AA himself how does become "swept under the rug?"

 

Rather than sweep this under the rug what would Aaliyah suggest be done and by whom?

What would Aaliyah suggest? Aaliyah would suggest an investigation to identify who knew about this and who allowed this to happen. Are they still working for the ATP? if so their resignations should be handed over immediately. For all we know the same people who let Agassi slide could still be handling doping tests. Who else did they let slide? Aaliyah would also suggest the ATP suspend players who are found with banned substances in their system no matter what lame excuse they come up with. i.e. Gasquet's "I kissed a girl and got coke in my system." I still can't help but LOL everytime I think about that one.

Agassi's revelation will not lead to an investigation into the way ATP handles appeals, positive doping tests-nothing. This will essentially be "swept under the rug" because no real action or investigation to figure out what went wrong will come about as a result of this being revealed. Sure this happened in '97 but there's much to be learned by looking into the mistakes of the past.

The excuse that Agassi used in his letter to the ATP sounds eerily similar to some of the dopers who were caught but got their suspensions reduced or overturned. They are all bs sounding excuses. I remember one South American player (I believe it was Chela) claiming he inadvertently used his wife's asthma medical and his suspension was either overturned or reduced. Of course there's the above Gasquet gem LOL. Gasquet got off with no penalty.

A lot of people are expressing disappointment in Agassi but I commend him. It took  a lot of guts to admit to something like that. I've always suspected there were cover ups at the highest levels in tennis but now it cannot be disputed. I hope the ATP will do better from now but I seriously doubt it.

Definitely I am sympathetic to your frustration with inconsistent oversight, and self interested governance.

I think Gasquet was penalized with a partial and temporary ban.   Gasquet's case goes to the point of how difficult it is to govern and patrol and penalize with total fairness.  At least tennis is using Hawkeye.  Certainly a few things wrong with the Gasquet charade.

Some libertarians, not me, think athletes should be able to take whatever whenever., ie self governance.

Personally I think the playing field should be level and performance enhancing drugs lead to penalty.