There have been calls for Novak Djokovic to be suspended after the World No. 1 allegedly refused to take an anti-doping test.
There are reports circulating about Djokovic refusing to take an anti-doping test ahead of a Davis Cup match against Britain's Cameron Norrie. The 24-time Grand Slam winner helped Serbia eliminate Great Britain in the quarter-finals of the Davis Cup on Nov. 23 in Malaga.
The charged-up Serbian defeated Norrie in straight sets 6-4, 6-4 to send Serbia into the next round after supposedly declining to provide a sample in a random drug test 90 minutes before the match. Djokovic defended his actions, claiming the "outrageous" test would interrupt his pre-match routine.
But former cyclist and current team boss of UCI WorldTeam Groupama-FDJ Marc Madiot has urged tennis authorities to suspend Djokovic, one of the biggest stars of the sport for breaking protocol.
"There are rules of testing before and after the competition. If the anti-doping body is doing its job, Mr. Novak Djokovic must be suspended. He refused a test before the match and did it after. In cycling, you are subjected to a test and if you refuse, you are automatically positive. If that is the case, you are sanctioned. You don't have the right to refuse testing, that's the rule," Madiot said in an interview.
Adding further, Madiot expressed it is "unreal" that Djokovic has received just a warning and no action has been taken against him after this incident. Madiot went on to explain that there are a variety of doping products that can be detected for a very limited time. Therefore, if a player is not tested before or during the match, the traces of such products can be erased in the body.
Djokovic provided his sample after his win over Norrie. "It's the first time it's happened to me. It doesn't make sense to do it when I'll be there after the match. They gave me an hour and a half's notice. I have my pre-match routines and I don't have to think at that point about donating blood or urine," said Djokovic in an interview.
The World No. 1 admitted that he argued with the officials because he has never experienced such a situation ever in his 20-year career. Djokovic also revealed that an anti-doping official also followed him for hours before the match.
Meanwhile, French publication L'Equipe (via tennis365) reported that The International Tennis Integrity (ITIA) has claimed that Djokovic never refused to undergo an anti-doping test. As per the report, the Serbian did not break any rules as players have the choice to be tested before or after matches in team competitions like the Davis Cup.
