Korda: People won't forget Greg's failed test

Petr Korda has warned Greg Rusedski that he will now always be remembered for failing a drugs test.

Czech player Korda was himself banned for a year for testing positive for nandrolone, the same banned substance found in a Rusedski sample given to drug-testers during a tournament in Indianapolis last July.

Rusedski was one of the players who spoke out against former world number two Korda, who became a tennis outcast and retired from the game feeling unable to clear his name.

“I don’t know the situation with Rusedski – but he will always have a battle to clear his name,” Korda told The Sun.

“People will always remember he tested positive for nandrolone.”

Korda was initially cleared of taking nandrolone but the tribunal’s decision was overturned by the International Tennis Federation.

“I had won the Australian Open at the start of 1998 and everything was going well for me,” he recalled. “Then at Wimbledon, I failed a drugs test after testing positive for nandrolone. I could not believe it.

“I had never, ever taken drugs. So to discover this news was shocking for me.

“I have no idea how this drug got into my blood stream. I did not know what they were talking about when they started using the word nandrolone.

“I had been tested 11 times in the previous year so I was well used to it. As if I would have been so stupid to take illegal supplements.

“I hated suggestions I was a cheat although some players were very vocal about me.

“Greg Rusedski was one of those. I do not know exactly what he said, but I am aware it was not particularly nice.”

Rusedski said at the time: “If Korda is innocent, tell us why. It is hard not to look at him now without having a great deal of suspicion.”