The AP reported today that Richard Gasquet has been officially suspended from competition after testing positive for cocaine in Miami. He will be off the tour at least until the ITF holds an anti-doping tribunal on the matter, which could take up to 60 days to arrange. This means Richard Gasquet will definitely miss Roland Garros. He could face a two-year ban if found guilty.
Gilbert Ysern, director general of the French Federation had this to say:
“Richard is devastated by this announcement,” said Ysern, also tournament director of the French Open. “On a human level, we can support him. If he did nothing wrong, we hope he will know how to prove it, but we are not his lawyer.”
International party boy, Marat Safin, blames the jet-set lifestyle, not the Frenchman:
“Everyone makes mistakes,” the Russian said at the Madrid Open. “I feel sorry for Gasquet. When you’re at a party, at a huge table full of people having fun, it’s absurd to have to watch what glass you’re drinking from. . .Testing for doping is also becoming very intrusive. It gets to the point where you almost feel you should be calling the ATP to tell them where you are after you leave a party.”
Click here for the full story from the AP.
Roger Federer, ever the diplomat, told reporters in Madrid that he wanted to hear Gasquet’s side of the story, first:
“I hope it’s not true, but we have to wait until Richard himself says something. As long as he hasn’t come out and said something, it’s hard to give an opinion.”
Fabrice Santoro, who trains alongside Gasquet in Paris, told reporters that he was surprised by the news:
“I’ve known Richard since he was nine years old, so I’m very surprised. I found out about the case yesterday (Saturday) evening. I know Richard and his way of life very well, so it’s a huge surprise because it doesn’t add up. Or maybe I was wrong (about Gasquet) – which would really surprise me, because I know him very well – or maybe there is a problem somewhere else.”
Santoro also said he talked to Gasquet via telephone about it: “He is sad, really shocked. He doesn’t understand. He told me about his dinner, his evening (on the night before the drug test)…”
Another countryman, Michael Llodra, offered this belated bit of advice:
“When I go out I am very careful. I keep my hand over my glass, because I know that this kind of mistake can happy very quickly.”
Quotes from tennis players via yahoo.
Writer Bonnie D. Ford at ESPN.com has a really interesting take on the situation. Here’s an excerpt:
How banal. Hard on the heels of the Manny Ramirez suspension and set alongside the doping cases involving major stars in baseball, cycling and track over the past few years, Gasquet’s alleged offense seems relatively mundane, a throwback to the old days when athletes abused Scotch and cigarettes rather than steroids and EPO.
Click here to read Ford’s column.
Gasquet doing Marat Safin proud after France beat Romania in an ‘08 DC tie. Photo via Towleroad.
Tags: ATP, cocaine, doping, drugs, Fabrice Santoro, Federer, gasquet, ITF, Michael Llodra, Roland Garros, Safin, tennis
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What a mess.
I like Marat’s insouciant take on it, tho’ I’m too old to know a lot about cocaine. Back in the day it was wholesome organic drugs like weed, shrooms and acid. I guess what I need to know from the younger and hipper here, would coke enhance performance? This is a recreational drug, not steroids and blood doping and stuff. (BTW, if they’d had testing for rec dope back in the day, I’m not sure Big Bill Tilden, Henri Lacoste and Von Cramm woulda passed.)McEnroe, Conners, Villas, Borg — bwaaaaaah.
Could cocaine enhance on court performance?
Footnote: There’s that great story about a Dodgers pitcher in the early 70s who dropped acid on his day off. Except, of course, it wasn’t his day off. He pitched a perfect game. Wish I could remember his name.
I think Marat has the right idea about this. Tennis players are only human, but they have more fame and money than the rest of us. So why cant they go out and party just like we do?
I agree with you both – tennis players have the right to partay! (Gasquet’s going to have to fight for it.)
I do find it interesting that so many players are paranoid about picking up the wrong glass. Is it normal for cocaine to be dissolved into cocktails? Are there evil rivals who seek to sabotage them? This all sounds very cloak and dagger.
Alice – cocaine is not known to be a real performance enhancer because it’s effects are so temporary and followed by a crash in energy. Bonnie D. Ford mentioned in her article that it was popular with cyclists for a while, mixed with other stuff, but isn’t used much anymore. Yet tennis players can be banned for 2 years if there is even a tiny amount in their system (if they are tested while “in competition”) The U.S. military has less stringent standards! It really is too bad.
I feel so sad for Gasquet either way- if he’s innocent he must feel absolutely terrible. However, I’ve always seen him as quite awkward and not comfortable in himself, which makes it easier to believe that at a party he might indulge in something stronger than drink to feel relaxed? Bad situation….but it’s nice to see the players being so balanced
think I agree with that Ford man, cocaine is really not used as a performance enhancer…I’m at uni and so many people take it recreationally, it’s ridiculous! 2 yrs seems very harsh from that angle…could you argue the same for getting too drunk or smoking?? It’s not illegal but both are dangerous and deemed recreational? And what about Michael Phelps getting caught doing pot, something he might be quite familiar with before his gold medals?
arghh I just hope the other players are v.careful from now on!!
It is really sad. The more I think about it, the more ridiculous it is. The U.S. military allows for more cocaine in the system than the ITF! It’s too stringent.
Absolutely outrageous to ban Gasquet for use of recreational drugs which, if anything, only hampers his performance on court. The ATP and ITF need to ban for use of performance enhancing drugs only. This is a first time offence and not even for using performance enhancing drugs, so give a first time warning if they must. The players and tennis fans need to get together and do something and inform these people that they need to stay out of the players lives when not participating at events, and only get involved when they have signed up to play for an event and check (only) for performance drugs. These are young guys, give them a break. They give us such a lot of their time.
Yes, I agree with another comment above when they said, that using alcohol is the same as recreational drugs.
Thank’s to Marat Safin to stand up (as always) and tell it like it is. Maybe he should organize a rally to stand up for what is right. I, for one, would fly to wherever to support.