Australia’s Jordan Thompson referred to as the ban handed to his US Open-winning doubles accomplice Max Purcell a “joke”, questioning what he mentioned was an absence of consistency in punishments for doping violations.
Later, Nick Kyrgios additionally referred to as out dopers, saying they have been “disgusting for our sport.”
Purcell elected to take a provisional suspension beneath the Worldwide Tennis Integrity Company’s Tennis Anti-Doping Programme, saying he had unknowingly acquired an IV infusion of nutritional vitamins above the allowed restrict of 100 millilitres.
The ban will preserve the two-time grand slam winner out of subsequent month’s Australian Open, the place he was to affix forces with Thompson 4 months on from their triumph at Flushing Meadows.
“I do not suppose he is fairly comfortable and neither am I to be sincere,” Thompson informed Australian media in Brisbane.
“He took an excessive amount of in an IV bag — to get suspended for that when there are different individuals who have completed far worse and generally simply get a slap on the wrist, it is a bit of a joke I believe.
“However it’s less than me to resolve what occurs. While you have a look at guys testing optimistic after which you’ve got Max taking simply an excessive amount of in an IV bag, it is a head scratcher.”
Purcell is the most recent grand slam winner to be investigated by the company, which was established to safeguard the game’s integrity by the sport’s governing our bodies.
Jordan Thompson (proper) mentioned the ban for his double accomplice Max Purcell was “a little bit of a joke”. (Getty Photos: Valerio Pennicino)
Final month French Open champion Iga Świątek accepted a one-month suspension after testing optimistic for the banned substance trimetazidine following contamination of her sleep treatment.
Jannik Sinner, the world primary, was cleared of wrongdoing after failing two checks in March for anabolic agent clostebol however faces a doable two-year ban after an enchantment by WADA, the worldwide anti-doping physique.
Each gamers have been cleared to play on the Australian Open, which begins on January 12.
Kyrgios did not mince his phrases when referring to doping-related fees in opposition to the pair.
“Two world quantity ones each getting completed for doping is disgusting for our sport. It is a horrible look,” Kyrgios mentioned at his Brisbane Worldwide press convention on Saturday.
“Tennis integrity proper now, and everybody is aware of it however nobody desires to talk about it, it is terrible.”
Kyrgios, 29, has not performed match tennis since June 2023 because of wrist and knee accidents.
He was requested about his motivations for talking out on the Sinner and Świątek conditions.
“Somebody like me … I might by no means even in my total life ever try to dope on this sport,” he mentioned.
“Particularly going by an damage like I went by, clearly there are issues on the market that would pace up therapeutic, assist me get again to prime degree, assist my restoration.
“There’s so many issues on the market which are prohibited in our sport that I may have been doing to get me again faster … [but] that is simply not who I’m. I am all the time in opposition to that.”
Kyrgios additionally raised questions over Sinner’s claims that his physiotherapist had unintentionally contaminated him throughout therapy with clostebol which had transferred from a minimize on his personal hand.
“I [pay] my crew a whole lot and 1000’s of {dollars} to be the professionals they’re, to make it possible for does not occur,” Kyrgios mentioned.
“In order that they knew it occurred. Why did they wait 5 to 6 months to do something about it? He saved his crew for 5 months … that does not make sense.”
Purcell’s suspension means the 27-year-old, who additionally received the lads’s doubles title at Wimbledon in 2022, can’t play in or attend any occasion authorised by tennis’ governing physique, leaving Thompson in search of a brand new accomplice.
“It wasn’t nice information for me and Maxy — particularly Max,” Thompson mentioned.
“I believe it is a bit of a joke, however there’s not loads I can do about it.”
ABC/wires
