Lleyton Hewitt: Doping Suspensions Need To Be More Harsh

Written by: Staff on 26th December 2012

Lleyton Hewitt: Doping Suspensions Need To Be More Harsh

epa03380475 Lleyton Hewitt of Australia hits a return to David Ferrer of Spain during their match on the seventh day of the 2012 US Open Tennis Championship at the USTA National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, New York, USA, 02 September 2012. The US Open runs through Sunday 09 September 2012. EPA/JASON SZENES |

Lleyton Hewitt says that one of the problems with drug testing on the ATP Tour is that the lengths of the sentences for those who are found guilty are too short.

The Australian recalled what occurred with Argentine Mariano Puerta, who was suspended for nine months from October 2003 to August 2004, the came back and in 2005, reached the Roland Garros final, where he eventually lost to Rafael Nadal.

However, in December 2005, he was suspended for another doping offense.

“Puerta screwed up the entire French Open because he was on drugs the whole tournament and knocked all these great players out,” Hewitt told The Courier-Mail. “He lost to Nadal, thank god. At least we had a worthy winner. Eighteen months later he was back playing. That was his second offence. That frustrates everyone who is doing the right thing. They have to tighten that up.”

Hewitt added that while he does like Roger Federer, “no-one is really close to him. He keeps his distance from everyone. But I have always got on with him extremely well.”

The former No.1 said that 11-time Grand Slam champion Rafael Nadal is his favorite player to watch and to train with. Both Nadal and Hewitt are known for their relentless play and never-say-die attitudes.

Hewitt also appreciates how he controls the pace of his matches.

“ He plays to his time,” Hewitt said. “He is always the last to get up at the change of ends. Even when you are tossing the coin at the net he is jumping around and in your face. He sprints back to the base line after that and then and this is something the public doesn’t see he hits the ball much harder in the warm-ups than anyone else. It creates a major presence. Matches are won and lost so many times in the locker room. Guys get in their mind how strong he is the warm-ups and that they will have to endure four hours of that to beat him they are beaten even before they step on court. But that’s why I like him. He basically says you are going to have to kill me to beat me.”

©Daily Tennis News Wire

Topics: Atp Tour, Australian tennis news, Lleyton Hewitt, Mariano Puerta tennis doping suspensions, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Sports, Tennis