Tennis News: Young Tennis Player Accuses Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer of Doping
Wimbledon Open boy's singles champion Gianluigi Quinzi has put himself in an awkward spot following his brow-raising comments on the credibility of Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer as 'clean' competitors in the sport.
The 17-year old Quinzi said he's quite sure if the best tennis players in the world, particularly some of the members of the fabled Big Four in men's tennis, are not taking performance enhancing drugs to get them the edge during their usually long and exhausting matches.
"Doping in tennis? When you see players such as Djokovic play 5 long sets and then walk back onto the court the next day and play with the same intensity as the day before, it's difficult to not think the worst,
"I'm not saying that Nole or certain other tennis stars make use of doping. I don't know. But you do start to question things when you see certain recoveries," Quinzi told Italian Sports publication La Gazzetta dello Sport via Tennis Tonic.
The young tennis player also believed that even tennis greats like Federer and Nadal have taken some substances to boost their endurance, but they weren't penalized because of what he perceived a special treatment they get from tennis sanctioning body.
"Just look at Nadal and Federer. I never see them getting caught, while some 30-40 around the world are. I believe that on the tennis circuit everyone has to be treated in the same way when it comes to doping. Even if your name is Nadal or Federer.
"If they have to pull them up, then they have to pull them up. It's not as if it would be the end of tennis were they to be pulled up. I don't know whether they or anyone else make use of doping, but in my opinion everyone has to be treated the same way." He added.