“It’s just scary…very stressful” – Maria Sakkari on anti-doping procedures in tennis after Halep ban

Maria Sakkari has had her say on what she sees as the issues with current anti-doping procedures in tennis, describing them as “scary” and “stressful”.

After reaching the quarter-finals of the San Diego Open, she was asked for her thoughts on the way that players are tested and the way that policies are communicated.

“One thing I can tell you for sure is the way they’re handling every situation with any player, any athlete, it’s just scary. We’re going to get to a point where we’re not even going to be taking electrolytes,” the Greek replied.

Sakkari: I never want to be in Halep’s position

Reflecting on the way Halep’s case has been handled, she added: “Thankfully, I haven’t been in that position. I never want to be. I’ve been very careful with everything that has to do with supplements. But I don’t know what the process is, how things are done behind closed doors. I don’t know who has a say. I have no idea.”

The 28-year-old suggested that one straightforward improvement would be to fix some glitches with the app players use to indicate their whereabouts for testing.

“It doesn’t work well. It’s supposed to remind you every day of your time slot and it doesn’t.

“For us, we travel so much compared to other athletes. It’s just very stressful. I wake up almost every night to use the bathroom. If that’s close to my time slot, I’m just thinking ‘Do I go? Do I not go? Do I just wait if they come?’ It’s just very stressful.”

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