Richard Gasquet Facing Two-Year Drug Suspension

by Sean Randall | May 10th, 2009, 11:28 am
  • 9 Comments

Richard Gasquet, too bad you’re not a baseball player. In baseball, if you fail drug test like Manny Ramirez just did, you get a roughly a two-month suspension before returning into the arms of your fans. In tennis if you get caught doping you face up to two years off the circuit the the public shame that goes with it. And unfortunately that’s exactly what’s Gasquet’s facing after reports have surfaced that the Frenchman tested positive for traces of cocaine during the Miami event which he never even played (at least we know what he was doing in Miami now). ADHEREL

To be clear, this is just a story from L’Equipe and it’s not official, just as Lance Amstrong who’s been in the crosshairs of that paper for years. But unfortunately for Gasquet it sure looks like there a lot more fact in this report than fiction.

Coincedentlay or not, Gasquet has pulled out of Madrid this week and I’m guessing he’ll avoid the public spotlight of the French Open unless he’s able to prove his innocence.


With so much talk of drug doping it’s astonishing just how many guys – not just in tennis – still take the risk and get caught. For Gasquet, he has to know that in Miami they will be testing, so why do it?

And that’s a shame because the 22-year-old really is an incredible talent. We’ve heard it over and over ad nauseum for it’s true. When he’s on his “A” game there are very few players who are better than him. Unfortunately, that A game only shows up a few weeks a year and now if the second vial comes back positive, we are not going to see any game from Gasquet for a few years and who knows, maybe never again. Too bad.


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9 Comments for Richard Gasquet Facing Two-Year Drug Suspension

Nadal and His Victims Descend on Magical Madrid Says:

[…] Recent News… Richard Gasquet Facing Two-Year Drug Suspension […]


jane Says:

This is too bad. I like Gasquet and especially love watching his game when it’s on; even though I was mad at him for taking out Roddick late into the evening at Wimbledon 07, it was stunning to see him playing so well. And last year in Canada against Nadal, the first set, which Richard won in a long tiebreaker, was breath-taking tennis. I found myself rooting for Gasquet, even though I started out cheering for Rafa, because of the sheer beauty of his game that night. It was electrifying. I really hope this all works out for the best, as we’ll miss him and his game if he goes away. :(


kamret Says:

This is a guy that was on the cover of Tennis Magazine (the French version) at the age of 9!!! Since he was very young, he was expected to become one of the greatest ever, due to his unbelievable talent. He was better and winning more than than Nadal during their mid-late teens (they are exactly the same age). And then came a series of underachievements. And finally this! How sad! But let’s hope he will man up and come back with a revenge in two years.


Von Says:

I think this is the result of too many expectations placed on a young child of age 9 by his parents and country. We see this happen to young children in school where their parents push them regardless of their protests. For what, just ego, which I’ve never understood.


Kimmi Says:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/tennis/8042543.stm

Looks like his B sample came back positive, so we will see what happens. I really feel for Gasquet, he’s one of my favorite players to watch when he is on…


Duro Says:

People, forget about him. He’s done. After two years of not playing he’s finished. Everyone would be. Too bad… Exceptional talent and maybe the most impressive one handed backhand in the world.


Von Says:

This is terrible news! I don’t see how he can clear his name, as per the article, if he was tested positive on both A and B samples. The B sample is more definitve and the deciding factor in drug testing, except for EPO, where B does not confirm.


RZ Says:

I can’t imagine that any top 100 player (let alone top 20) would be dumb enough to do coke. I wish we could find out what really happened to get the traces in Gasquet’s (and Hingis’s) samples.


Richard Gasquet Submits Kissing Defense, And it Works! Says:

[…] a strange ending to a strange case. Richard Gasquet was busted for having coke in system during the Miami tournament in March. Under the rules, Gasquet was subsequently suspended for one […]

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