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Sad to say, this story won’t die. The World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) has rubbished the ATP’s drugs policy in a report about the recent positive tests for nandrolone. WADA think that the recent positive tests are not due to a contaminated electrolyte given out by the ATP.<br /><br />Frankly, this is a shambles. The ATP think they might have given players banned substances. The WADA think this is unrealistic, and have criticised the ATP tribunals and various expert testimonies as hearsay and unscientific.<br /><br />So what are WADA saying? Effectively, the following:<br />1. There are/were lots of players on the ATP tour with higher than normal nandrolone in their system<br />2. Their cases are remarkably similar, in terms of the quantity of nandrolone present<br />3. It’s not the ATP providing them with the stuff<br /><br />Therefore, we are left with a rather unpalatable set of conclusions.<br /><br />Either:<br />- coincidentally, lots of players are taking drugs to improve performance, all of almost identical quantities, on their own<br />- or there is a wide-ranging doping programme run by someone other than the ATP.<br /><br />However – the traces of nandrolone are so low they would hardly benefit performance, if at all. Which makes you wonder what the motivation is to take something with lots of downside but no upside. If you are going to take drugs, you might as well get a benefit. Otherwise, what’s the point?<br /><br />Who do you believe? Players who say they are innocent, the ATP or WADA? Take your pick.<br /><br />For more, see <a href=http://www.wada-ama.org/en/t1.asp>http://www.wada-ama.org/en/t1.asp</a><br /><a href=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/3900689.stm>http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tennis/3900689.stm</a>