Nick Kyrgios made it clear that he was not among the players who took Adderall, a medication for ADHD that has a performance-enhancing effect.
The Australian reacted to journalist Ben Rothenberg’s tweet which sourced an anonymous ATP player and claimed that “half of the Top 100 or maybe more” use the stimulant drug, which is a combination of amphetamine salts, but not for its intended purpose.
This prompted Kyrgios, ranked 22nd in the world, to make the clarification.
“LOL (laughing out loud), not me,” replied Nick Kyrgios.
Rothenberg’s tweet came in light of Fernando Verdasco‘s two-month suspension after the Spaniard tested positive for methylphenidate, an ADHD medication, at an ATP Challenger in Rio de Janeiro last February.
“Regarding Adderall in tennis, one ATP player told me today he estimates “half of top 100 is on it… maybe more.” And not because they have trouble focusing while doing their homework. Lots of cynicism about the TUE (Therapeutic Use Exemption) system within the locker room,” tweeted Rothenberg.
A press release by the International Tennis Integrity Agency stated that Verdasco has been medically diagnosed with the condition and is legitimately taking the stimulant drug as prescribed by his physician. The former World No. 7 and current No. 125 is taking it under the Therapeutic Use Exemption (TUE), which he forgot to renew. He has been given a renewal for the medication moving forward.
Accepting that the violation was unintentional and that there was no cheating involved, the Tennis Anti-Doping Programme reduced the period of suspension from two years to two months.
The World Anti-Doping Agency on its website states that an athlete may apply for a TUE for a medication that contains a substance or requires an administration method that is in the List of Prohibited Substances and Methods provided that he has an illness or medical condition that requires those. The exemption was granted as it would not give the athlete a competitive advantage but would allow him to “compete in a proper state of health.”
“Can’t say I’m surprised with this one” – Nick Kyrgios on Fernando Verdasco’s doping ban for ADHD medication
The news of Fernando Verdasco’s suspension following a positive result for the ADHD medication methylphenidate, a stimulant drug, did not surprise Nick Kyrgios.
“Can’t say I’m surprised with this one,” said Nick Kyrgios.
While he did not elaborate further, his words caught the ire of tennis fans.
Another player who voiced his opinion on the issue was Reilly Opelka. The towering World No. 38 questioned the need for people to use Adderall “for the first time in their lives as adults” before proceeding to call it “legal doping.”
“One of the biggest issues in tennis,” said Opelka.