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Maria Sakkari recently expressed her concerns about the doping authorities after her colleague Simona Halep was banned from tennis for four years for two doping violations. The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) announced the verdict on Tuesday (September 12).
The two-time Grand Slam champion has been suspended since October 2022 due to her positive test for the blood-boosting substance Roxadustat during the US Open.
Halep faced additional charges for a second anti-doping violation in May 2023, this time related to the irregularities found in her Athlete Biological Passport.
The former World No.1's suspension renders her ineligible to participate in professional tennis until October 6, 2026. Her most recent appearance on the WTA Tour occurred during the New York Slam last year, where she was eliminated in the first round.
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Maria Sakkari is currently competing in the San Diego Open, where she defeated Camila Osorio in the round of 16. Following her victory, she spoke at a press conference and gave her opinion on trusting doping authorities in the aftermath of Simona Halep's suspension.
The Greek finds the ITIA's handling of situations, with any player, "scary." She stated that fear of an anti-doping violation might even cause athletes to stop taking electrolytes.
"One thing I can tell you for sure is the way they are handling every situation with any player, any athlete, it is just scary. We are gonna get to a point where we are not even gonna be taking electrolytes. Thankfully, I have not been in that position. I never want to be," Maria Sakkari said (via nine.com.au).
"The whereabouts app that the anti-doping app, it does not work well" - Maria Sakkari
Maria Sakkari then stated that, while she is very careful about taking her supplements, she does not completely trust the decisions that are made behind closed doors.
She also expressed her frustration with ITIA's 'whereabouts' application, saying "it does not work well." Three failures to provide 'whereabouts' in a rolling 12-month period could result in a two-year suspension.
"I’ve been very careful with everything that has to do with supplements. But I do not know what the process is, how things are done behind closed doors. I do not know who has a say. I have no idea. I would for sure improve the whereabouts app that the anti-doping app. It does not work well," Maria Sakkari said.
Sakkari added that while steps were taken to improve the app, it still showed no improvement, sharing the difficulties she faced when using it.
"It’s supposed to remind you every day of your time slot & it does not. They tried to improve it, but it is not working very well. For us, we travel so much compared to other athletes. It is just very stressful," Sakkari said.
"I wake up almost every night to use the bathroom. If that is close to my time slot, I am just thinking 'Do I go? Do I not go? Do I just wait if they come?' It is just very stressful," she added.
