“I think she is innocent” John Millman defends Simona Halep amidst Fernando Verdasco’s doping scandal
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John Millman, Simona Halep and Fernando Verdasco (Image via Instagram)
The behind-the-scenes look of the sporting world can be vastly different from what fans are used to. Intense pressure to succeed, combined with personal ambition, associated costs, etc, makes for a cutthroat world. And in such an environment, underhanded tactics are bound to arise. When these tactics are exposed, they turn into a scandal.
And the latest scandal to plague tennis has been the doping charges against none other than Fernando Verdasco. The Spaniard was recently suspended by the ATP for 2 months after he tested positive for a banned substance called Methylphenidate, at an ATP Challenger event in Rio in February this year.
The former world no.7 accepted a voluntary provisional doping suspension after testing positive for the drug that he said was prescribed to him for his ADHD diagnosis (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). Verdasco claimed that he forgot to renew his TUE (Therapeutic Use Exemption). The International Tennis Integrity Agency announced that Verdasco was granted an exemption by the World Anti-Doping Agency moving forward.
The verdict by the integrity and the Anti-Doping agencies reduced an almost 2-year ban down to 2 months. This has drawn several reactions over its validity and fairness towards other banned players. Recently, Australian player John Millman spoke up against the verdict, saying that it indicates Simona Halep (provisionally suspended) might be innocent.
‘TUEs open loopholes to legally dope’ – John Millman on the Verdasco Doping Scandal
Australian tennis player John Millman shared his views on the Verdasco doping matter on Twitter. He wrote “In general I really don’t like TUE’s in professional sport. Opens up way too many loopholes to “legally dope” – it’s very unfortunate for those with legitimate need as is the probable case here. However, it’s been long known that if you want to dope, get a TUE.”
He’d go on to defend former world no.1 and 2-time Grand Slam champion Simona Halep against her provisional ban. The Romanian received the verdict in October this year after she tested positive for Roxadustat during a routine blood test at the US Open 2022. “To add to this is one of the reasons I think Simona Halep is innocent. If she really wanted to enhance her performance with a substance she could have just gone down a TUE path. I genuinely believe she is innocent and hope she returns to the courts soon!” said Millman.
A Twitter user responded with a valid line of questioning, asking “So does that mean only neurotypical people should play pro tennis? Because you don’t want autistic and ADHD to have medication!” Millman replied to the query, saying “No not at all, but there needs to be a lot more regulation with how you can get a TUE currently. Because right now I can tell you it’s being abused.”
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Aradhana Nayak
(189 Articles Published)