Andy Murray In Favor Of Tougher Drug Testing

Written by: Staff on 6th February 2013

Andy Murray In Favor Of Tougher Drug Testing

epa03554863 Andy Murray of Britain in action during his men's singles semi final match against Roger Federer of Switzerland at the Australian Open tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, 25 January 2013. EPA/MARK DADSWELL AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND OUT |

Andy Murray has repeated his call for a tougher drug testing regime in tennis, saying that the scarcity of blood tests could be down to a lack of funding. And the No. 3 is so passionate in his cause he seems prepared to reach into his pocket if necessary to the extent of having some player prize money diverted to fund more surprise raids on his fellow players in the interests of a cleaner sport.

“It’s down to our governing bodies and the ATP to invest some of our own money into WADA and making sure we get more testing done,” Murray said during the Queen’s club tournament launch in London. “That’s the only way you can improve your testing procedures, by having more of them.

“In the long term I think you save money. I think more people would come to watch sport, rather than reading all the time about these doping scandals or match-fixing or whatever it is. Every single week right now there’s something different and it’s bad for sport.”

Murray is following carefully the doping investigations currently underway in Spain, centered mainly upon links with cycling and the Lance Armstrong scandal. “If one in 100 players is doping, then, in my eyes, that isn’t a clean sport,” said Murray. “I think it’s essential that the names and whoever was involved within it (Operacion Puerto), it’s essential for tennis that comes out.

“Not just tennis, all sports just now, need to look very closely at this stuff. A lot’s been learned from what happened with the Lance Armstrong situation. I don’t want that happening for my sport, because it would be terrible.”

©Daily Tennis News Wire

Topics: Andy Murray, anti doping in tennis, ATP tennis news, Lance Armstrong, tennis ndrug testing, Wada