Rafael Nadal usually steers clear of controversy, but he didn’t hold back when asked about Maria Sharapova’s doping scandal. The Spaniard made it clear that rules are rules, and if the Russian had made a mistake, she had to face the consequences like any other player.
Sharapova found herself at the center of a doping controversy in 2016 after testing positive for meldonium — a substance added to the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) banned list at the start of that year. She revealed she had been using it for ten years to treat various health problems, including a heart condition and magnesium deficiency, and claimed she didn’t know it had recently been prohibited.
As a result, the International Tennis Federation (ITF) handed the five-time Grand Slam champion a two-year suspension. However, following her appeal, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) reduced the ban to 15 months, stating that she bore “no significant fault” and hadn’t deliberately tried to cheat.
The controversy sparked a wide range of reactions in the tennis world, and Nadal was among those who voiced their opinion. In an interaction with the media (via The Guardian), the Spaniard said:
“I want to believe that for sure it is a mistake for Maria, that she didn’t want to do it, but it is a negligence so the rules are like this. It’s fair, so now she must pay for it.”
Maria Sharapova resumed her career at the 2017 Stuttgart Open and continued to compete until her retirement in 2020.
Rafael Nadal: “I don’t know anything about doping and I am a completely clean guy”
In the same 2016 interview, Rafael Nadal also addressed the broader doping issue in tennis and shared his personal stance. He explained that he wasn’t well-versed in doping bans since he had always remained clean throughout his career, stressing that he had never resorted to any substances for quicker recovery from injuries.
Nadal said (via The Guardian):
“I really don’t know anything about the doping and I am a completely clean guy. I worked so much during my whole career and when I get injured, I get injured. I never take anything to get back quicker. I believe in the sport and in the values of the sport.”
“The good news about all of this is that we have a good anti-doping programme that the players who are not doing the right thing are going on trial. So we will see how it goes,” he added.
Although the 22-time Major champion faced doping-related allegations over the years, he never tested positive for any banned substances. Like his arch-rival Roger Federer, he was able to retire without any such controversies.
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Edited by Pritha Ghosh
