Caso Sharapova, ecco cosa dire

Un vero e proprio manuale di comportamento dedicato ai giocatori impegnati sul sempre scivolosissimo terreno del doping affrontato in conferenza stampa. Una disciplina, questa, spesso poco amata dagli sportivi, soprattutto quando si chiede loro giudizi o commenti relativi all'operato dei propri colleghi. Ecco che la WTA ha così deciso, a modo suo, di venire incontro ai tennisti che parteciperanno al prossimo torneo di Indian Wells, inviando un documento (intercettato però da Sports Illustrated) dove si anticipano le possibili domande (e preferibili risposte) in merito al caso Sharapova.

Si va dai più generici "Pensi che Maria doveva essere sospesa?" o "Sei sorpreso di quanto accaduto?" alle questioni più specifiche riguardanti le liste dei prodotti dopanti e le modalità di informazione della WADA, l'Agenzia mondiale antidoping, sulle nuove sostanze proibite.

Intanto nelle ultime ore la stessa Maria Sharapova è tornata a comunicare coi fan tramite un lungo post su Facebook, nel quale, in sostanza, ha ringraziato chi le è stata accanto in questi difficili momenti. La russa ha affermato, inoltre, di non voler gettare la spugna: "Mi piacerebbe giocare ancora e spero di avere la possibilità di farlo", ha scritto la bionda siberiana.

DOMANDA: Do you think Maria should be suspended?
RISPOSTA: We think it’s important that the Tennis Anti-Doping Program follows the standard procedures it has in place. The WTA will support the decisions reached through this process.
D: Does it surprise you that this happened to Maria?
R: Every player received the 2016 WADA Prohibited List from both the WTA and ITF. It is the responsibility of the player to know the rules.
D: Exactly what notifications did you send to Maria? What did they say and can you provide them to me?
R: The process is the same each year. In this instance, the WTA posted WADA’s 2016 Prohibited List on the Player Zone in December with a reminder sent to all players. The ITF informed all players in the testing pool and their known agents via written notification, with a link to the 2016 Wallet Card which contains the Prohibited List.
D: Is Maria right? Was her medication allowed prior to January 1st and was it added to the banned list on January 1?
R: Yes it was prohibited as of January 1st.
D: What is her status now?
R: She will be provisionally suspended in accordance with the TADP rules pending a final decision once the process has reached completion.
D: If Maria can’t play anymore, how much of a blow is that to the WTA?
R: I’m not prepared to speculate about the future. I think it’s important for the TADP to complete its process and render its judgment.
D: Between this and the gambling revelations, it’s been a tough year for tennis.
R: The integrity of our sport is paramount and it is important to do the right thing and to follow the rules. I think the future of tennis is very bright and the game remains very popular around the world. I thought Maria did the right thing to let people know about this herself, but now it is important to let the TADP carry out its procedures. We have a comprehensive process in place and I have confidence that the results will reflect what is appropriate.