Tennis - the Next Big Scandal

So, football has been trashed by Sepp Blatter (YouTube Hugh Dennis on the pronounciation), Athletics by Lamine Diack and Cycling by Lance Armstrong Who'd have ever though that tennis would get involved in this doping scandal?

Well, me. Yes, technically, football doesn't have a doping scandal (yet), but that's not my point. If you look back over the last 10 years, there's been a marked increase in the technology used to catch people using performance enhancing techniques (I have to use that and not drugs because of blood doping) to cheat in the sport they're competing in. I doubt there's a single sport out there that isn't about to be exposed for widespread doping.

Now, I'm not about to say that the top level of tennis competitors like the likeable Roger Federer, the tough Novak Djokovic and the robot Andy Murray are doping. Because they're probably not. What I am going to say is that there will be a meteoric rise from someone lower down which can only be attributed to out and out cheating.

You might be wondering where I'm heading with this, but bear with me. It leads to Sharapova. All roads lead to Maria Sharapova. She has admitted that she tested positive for a banned substance. This substance has been banned since January but Sharapova has been taking it for at least 10 years, going back to her first Grand Slam win.

Two questions arise because of this. First, why has this substance only just been added to the exhaustive list of banned products? And should Maria be subject to the highest penalty available and be stripped of her titles like Armstrong was?

I wholeheartedly disagree with the latter. Predominantly because she has admitted her faults, both as an athlete and as a human. She has been honest and forthcoming and I do believe that it was an honest mistake. She is a shining example of someone who has owned up to her failings and we should all move one from it.

The former is for the legal and science teams at the ITF. Should it have been added sooner? Probably not. Sooner or later the nanny dope-free state that will exist within high level athletics will ban coffee, because it contains caffeine, which is a stimulant. Or beers, because it contains alcohol, which dulls pain.

I'm going to be candid here and say that we should be throwing our support behind Maria Sharapova from every angle, especially today. She's an inspiration to all female athletes and the way she has conducted herself should be revered and not vilified.