Nadal backs anti-doping body

A RUSSIAN CYBER ESPIONAGE GROUP HAD HACKED WADA’S DATABASE AND LEAKED FILES OF VENUS AND SERENA WILLIAMS

With tennis caught in the eye of a fresh doping storm, world No 4 Rafael Nadal gave a strong vote of confidence to the anti-doping programme and said “a negative image of the sport should not be created every two weeks”.

On Tuesday, a Russian cyber espionage group ‘Fancy Bears’ hacked into the database of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and stole information of prominent US Olympic stars such as gold medallist gymnast Simone Biles and tennis players Serena and Venus Williams. The hackers claimed that the three had been allowed to take part at last month’s Rio Games despite taking banned substances under a therapeutic-use exemption.

Asked about the report at Thursday’s post-draw press conference, Nadal began by saying he “cannot say something I don’t have information of ”, before backing the anti-doping body.

“What happened is terrible news, but we believe we have the best anti-doping programme possible and they are always trying to make it better,” said the 30-yearold. “We cannot create a negative show in sports because it is an example for a lot of kids around the world; it is an inspiration for people who need it. I believe in our anti-doping a hundred per cent.”

While failed drug tests at the elite level in tennis are rare, it has been a key talking point since March when former world No 1 Maria Sharapova announced that she had tested positive for banned substance meldonium and received a subsequent twoyear ban.

Nadal, however, is convinced that the system in place is good enough. “We know how hard the doping controls are. We have a commitment of telling them where we are every single day of the year. We have to spend one hour of every single day for anti-doping control. Believe in the programme and believe in the values of the sport.”