Novak Djokovic has caused a stir by refusing to take a doping test during the Davis Cup. One cycling team boss is even calling for the record Grand Slam winner to be banned
In Serbia’s duel against England in the Davis Cup, the Serbian team led by superstar Novak Djokovic refused to take a doping test before the match. The superstar was annoyed by the procedure: “This has never happened to me in 20 years.”
However, if Marc Madiot has his way, the real scandal is not the timing of the test, but rather Djokovic’s refusal to take it.
“You don’t have the right to refuse a test, that’s the rule,” said the team boss of UCI WorldTeam Groupama-FDJ on the RMC program Les Grandes Gueules du Sport, stating quite clearly: “He refused to be tested before the competition. If the anti-doping authorities do their job, Djokovic must be suspended. “
That’s why testing before the Games is important
The 64-year-old drew a parallel with cycling. There, if you refuse a doping test, you are considered positive. “If you test positive, you will be punished,” he repeated his call for sanctions against the current number one in the ATP world rankings.
Madiot also did not accept the objection of his interlocutor Marion Bartoli that Djokovic was tested regularly after the match – this test was negative. “There are doping substances that can only be detected for a limited time. If you don’t test before the match, the traces in the body can be covered up,” he replied.
As the Spanish newspaper Marca reported, the ITF had informed all team captains in a meeting that in the final phase of the Davis Cup – in contrast to the ATP Tour – they should expect surprise tests before the matches.
“It’s about the fact that the rules weren’t followed,” says Madiot, who can’t understand Djokovic’s excitement about the timing of the test.
