Murray slams ‘draconian’ rules

ANDY MURRAY has hit out at “draconian” new anti-doping rules in tennis.

Legislation introduced from January 1 means players must report where they are for one hour of every day for the whole year so testers can call unannounced. Anyone who misses three tests in an 18-month period could be suspended for up to two years.

“These new rules are so draconian that it makes it almost impossible to live a normal life,” said Murray.

“I got a visit at 7am one morning at my home right after I had travelled home from Australia. I woke up not really knowing where I was and suffering badly from jet lag. It seemed ridiculous to me as I’d just been tested four days earlier, straight after the match I had lost in the Australian Open.

“The official who came to my home wanted me to produce identification to prove who I was. He insisted on watching me provide a sample, literally with my trousers round my ankles, and then insisted that I wrote down my own address even though he was at my private home at 7am.”

The Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) have signed up to the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) code, but admit the nature of a player’s lifestyle can cause problems.

“They are unique in that they don’t know when they will leave a tournament, how long a match will last, when they have to appear at a tournament or where they will be headed next,” an ATP spokesman said.