The world’s top tennis players have been told to avoid eating meat in restaurants as the ATP Tour heads to China over the next two months.
Players have been urged to remind themselves of the advice from the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA), which polices doping in tennis, to “seek other sources of protein” during tournaments in the country.
A number of steroids banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada), including clenbuterol and ractopamine, are used by farmers in China to promote growth in the production of beef, lamb, chicken and pork.
If players test positive, they can be exonerated if they are able to prove they ate contaminated meat – but are usually suspended while the investigation is ongoing and have to spend money on trying to clear their name.
And there is no guarantee of exoneration: British doubles player Tara Moore was banned for four years after the Court of Arbitration for Sport ruled the test results failed to prove that she had ingested meat containing boldenone and nandrolone in Colombia.
China is a key funder of professional tennis
After a lengthy absence during and after the Covid pandemic, China is now the biggest host of professional tennis outside of the grand slam nations: in the next two months, more than $30m of prize money will be on offer in the country, as well as the Billie Jean King Cup.
The top women could easily spend seven straight weeks in China with a tournament every week, but if they do so, they will have to be careful about where they are eating.
“Players are urged to understand the risks of eating meat in these countries [China, Mexico and Guatemala] during tournaments and seek other sources of protein (such as plant-based, or fish) where possible,” the ITIA advice says.
The ITIA recommends players:
Try to consume meat only from the tournament venue and hotel Ask about the source of meat, if possible Make sure they keep receipts from all meals Eat with other players Keep a detailed food diary so that they can assist any potential anti-doping investigationThe best advice, sources say, is simply not to eat meat in the countries listed, but that doesn’t really work if you live or train there.
The warning comes in the context of a number of high-profile inadvertent doping cases that have proved damaging to the reputations of both Jannik Sinner and Iga Swiatek.
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Swiatek’s case was particularly chilling to other players, after a legal and allowed medication she was taking – melatonin, used to counter jet lag – was found to be contaminated with a banned substance.
The Pole’s excuse of contamination was accepted, but she was still handed a short ban for having tested positive.
She called it “the worst time in her life” and pointed out that “there was no way to know” that the medication she was taking had been contaminated during production.
In the wake of Swiatek’s positive test, players were coming up to her asking what they could do to avoid a similar fate. The answer was “very little”.
Food is an even more challenging landscape, especially during a part of the tour most players find particularly taxing.
Going out for dinner offers the chance to escape the tournament bubble, even just for an hour or two, and experience some of the culture beyond the hotel walls and tennis courts – which look largely the same the world over.
And while vegetarianism is possible, in a country where few players speak the language, not many will be willing to take the risk and head off site.
New trial will help some players
Doping authorities say they want to help. The i Paper understands a new pilot scheme is to be launched next month aimed at players lower down the pyramid who test positive.
Under the scheme, up to $5,000 (around £3,650) of funding will be made available to test supplements or medication at a Wada lab, or to investigate meat contamination.
And the Wada recognition of contamination risk in China, Mexico and Guatemala means if your test comes in below a certain level, there is no provisional suspension while it is investigated.
However, cases like Moore’s in Colombia, which Wada do not recognise in this category, are not given the same clemency.
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