Reilly Opelka shows support to Jenson Brooksby following his doping suspension, criticizes authorities for allowing performance booster Adderall

Reilly Opelka had openly criticized ITIA for letting the use of Adderall by players suffering from ADHD pass.

Reilly Opelka shows support to Jenson Brooksby following his doping suspension, criticizes authorities for allowing performance booster Adderall

Reilly Opelka and Jenson Brooksby (Sources: The Sport Review, Sky Sports)

American tennis player Jenson Brooksby has been handed an 18-month ban by the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) after missing three drug tests in a 12-month window.

The player has agreed to miss the first and third tests but has challenged the validity of the second test that he missed as it was the result of miscommunication between both parties. Unfortunately, his appeal was dismissed, and the sanction, which will keep him away from the court until January 2025, was levied. 

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About the second test, which he had appealed about, Jenson Brooksby said that when the doping control officer arrived at his hotel on June 4th, he was told that Brooksby had not checked in.

However, in reality, Brooksby’s room had been booked in his physio’s name, which led to the confusion. The doping officer called his cellphone at 6:56 AM, but Brooksby missed it as his phone was in silent mode. 

Had the doping officer called my hotel room even once, I would have for sure been tested because I was awake and had nothing to hide.
Said the American

Reilly Opelka, another American tennis player, has shown his support for Jenson Brooksby after ITIA issued a statement over his ban. Reilly Opelka recently took a strong stand against the use of Adderall by many tennis players, as he considers it to be a PED (performance-enhancing drug).

The 26-year-old was stunned that the ITIA, which lets players pass for taking Adderall, put a sanction against Brooksby for an honest mistake. Reilly Opelka wrote on Instagram

Players are getting zapped off addy's but you enter the wrong hotel address and you get suspended for 18 months.. BS.

For the uninitiated, Opelka has been inactive for over a year owing to hip and wrist injuries. 

Reilly Opelka’s stand against the use of Adderall by tennis players 

Around early 2023, Fernando Verdasco was charged with a two-month suspension after being tested positive for methylphenidate, an ADHD-related ailment.

Reilly Opelka
Reilly Opelka (Source: Tennis.com)

ITIA lets players who suffer from ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) consume Adderall for therapeutic purposes, but after Verdasco’s case came to light, they realized that many players are consuming the drug to enhance their attention during matches to give them an unfair advantage. 

Following that, the ITIA issued a strict statement to players belonging to both the WTA and ATP, warning them about the illicit use of such drugs. Players must submit an application for Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE) to claim permission for the medication. 

Back then, Reilly Opelka had openly expressed his displeasure with the ITIA’s decision to allow the use of Adderall. 

One of the biggest issues in tennis.. why are guys taking adderall for the first time in their life as adults? Legal doping.
He wrote on X. 

Thus, he was evermore confused by Jenson Brooksby’s ban.

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