Players at the Australian Open were asked about Lance Amstrong in the January 18, 2013 news conferences.
Q. There was a lot of talk today about the Lance Armstrong interview. Did you catch any of it?
MARIA SHARAPOVA: I saw a little bit of it, yeah.
Q. Do you have any thoughts on his admission today, how he justified it as not cheating?
MARIA SHARAPOVA: I think it’s just a really sad story, sad for that sport itself. I’m happy that our sport is as clean as it can be and that we’re constantly tested. You know, we give whereabouts of where we are every single day of the year. Hopefully not on birthdays and Christmas Eve, that would be pretty tough.
Although they did show up on my birthday and I was very disappointed. They did a couple of years ago. I said, Unless you bring flowers, I’m okay with it. But they came empty‑handed (laughter).
So as long as we’re getting tested, whatever it takes, urine, blood, we’re all here to make the sport as clean as it can be.
Q. Do you feel tennis is pretty clean at this moment?
MARIA SHARAPOVA: I do very much. For the amount of times that we get tested throughout the year and as random as they are, definitely.
Q. I’m not sure if you saw today, but Lance Armstrong admitted to playing performance enhancing drugs. I was wondering if you thought tennis had a vigorous enough policy on anti doping?
JANKO TIPSAREVIC: You know what, you’re probably asking the wrong guy. You know, actually came to Kenya to test me. I wasn’t going to Kenya to hide from anti doping. I was actually doing my pre season there.
One morning a person was waking me up. I was so shocked and afraid somebody was like robbing us. I wasn’t sure.
But I think it’s not cool what he did, cheating the sport and cheating so many people in the sport and so many people around him, believing that what he did actually did it on a clean and regular way. So that’s really not cool what he did.
In regards of tennis, I think they test me often enough, blood and urine. So, sure, if they want to increase it, why not? But we have a tough enough time with this WADA process of us telling them every single day of our life where we need to be.
So I don’t really see how can it be more strict than that.
Q. How comfortable are you that drug testing in tennis is rigorous enough?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, in tennis, you know, at least from my perspective, it’s really good. Anti doping regulations a little bit maybe more strict in sense that you have to fill the whereabouts documents and you have to basically give an hour or two in every day of your life in a whole year, where you are.
But on the other hand, it gives them an opportunity to test you. And you know it is the same for the other players. At least from that point of view it’s fair. And I have nothing against, you know, the anti doping federation, association, testing me 10, 20, 30 times a year.
I think as long as I know as many numbers of testing for the other players, I’ll be happy.
Q. How about blood testing? The ITF records tell us in the whole of 2011 there was only 18 blood tests taken of the top players. How often would you or Andy or Roger or Rafa be blood tested?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Yeah, I wasn’t tested with blood for last six, seven months. It was more regularly in last two, three years ago. I don’t know the reason why they stopped it.
As I said, I mean, as long as it’s fair, it’s clean, we’re trying to protect the identity of this sport. I believe tennis players are one of the most cleanest athletes in the world and one of the most competitive sports.
So as long as we keep it that way, I have no complaints about testing.
Q. Would you disagree with Darren Cahill who said today that he believes the Anti Doping Program in tennis is inadequate and it’s been going backwards in recent years?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: What is the reason for that?
Q. That’s his opinion.
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: Well, I mean, I don’t know. There has to be a reason why he said that, backstory.
I know Darren. He’s a great guy, somebody that knows tennis really well, so must be something why he said that.
But in my opinion, yeah, there has been a complaints from players in few years, last few years, about this whereabouts system. Why do we need to write where we are every single day of our 365 days when most of the time we’re spending on the courts and so forth.
Maybe that is something that is, you know, questionable. But on the other hand as many urine, as many blood sample tests they take, the better. Then you’re aware that it’s a clean sport and everybody has the same treatment.
Q. I think part of the issue is out of competition blood testing is expensive to carry out. Do you think the ITF should make it more of a priority to spend more money on that?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I mean, it’s a question for them, I guess. From my point, I mean, I was more than clear. I have nothing against the blood tests, you know.
Even though I prefer urine more. I don’t like the needles too much. But, of course, I mean, you know, the money in that direction should be invested because, you know, it’s always let’s say a safeguard for our sport that they’re investing money in our sport that is going to protect our sport and players.
Q. A lot of cycling fans have lost a lot of faith in that sport now. Do you think tennis fans should be confidant that nothing like this…
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I lost a lot of faith in cycling. I used to watch it. All the big champions that were there, Marco Pantani, now Lance Armstrong. Yeah, I don’t want to say all. I really don’t know. There has been so much controversy about that sport.
I’m sure that there are many cyclists in the world who are training very hard and trying to not use any enhancing drugs for their competition.
But I think it’s not acceptable that they have physically so much races in short period of the time. I think basically every single day, day and a half, they have to go through 200 miles. Uphill, downhill in Giro D’Italia, Tour de France, that’s inhuman effort. As you can see, Lance Armstrong, many other big champions, had to use something to succeed.
Q. Do you think tennis fans should have faith that that won’t happen the same way?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: The results are showing that. In last few years there maybe has been one or two cases, but those players were more or less outside of the hundred. We are keeping this sport clean. We are working towards it. There is awareness with the players and with the officials. As long as is like that, we are in a good road.
Q. Would you be in favor of like a biological passport program that they’re instituting in cycling for tennis?
NOVAK DJOKOVIC: I mean, you know, we can discuss about the options for a while. But generally I believe that the present regulations about anti doping tests in tennis are good, in my views. I don’t think there should be any major changes because, as you know, it’s official. We have to write where we are every day of our lives so they have an opportunity to test us every day of 365 days in a year.
I think that doesn’t give anybody a chance to do something that is unsportsmanlike.
Q. The Lance Armstrong interview today, I was wondering what your thoughts are on drug testing in tennis?
NICOLAS ALMAGRO: I’m not going to say nothing because I didn’t see nothing about that. I want to see before to speak.
I don’t know what happened.
Q. My question is what about the authorities in tennis are doing.
NICOLAS ALMAGRO: You need to ask to someone better than me because I not going to say nothing. Sorry. It’s a very important things, and I not going to talk.
I thinks our sport is clear, is fair, and I won’t believe that is the only thing I can say.
Q. I’m not sure if you saw today, but Lance Armstrong admitted to playing performance‑enhancing drugs. I was wondering if you thought tennis had a vigorous enough policy on anti‑doping?
JANKO TIPSAREVIC: You know what, you’re probably asking the wrong guy. You know, actually came to Kenya to test me. I wasn’t going to Kenya to hide from anti‑doping. I was actually doing my pre‑season there.
One morning a person was waking me up. I was so shocked and afraid somebody was like robbing us. I wasn’t sure.
But I think it’s not cool what he did, cheating the sport and cheating so many people in the sport and so many people around him, believing that what he did actually did it on a clean and regular way. So that’s really not cool what he did.
In regards of tennis, I think they test me often enough, blood and urine. So, sure, if they want to increase it, why not? But we have a tough enough time with this WADA process of us telling them every single day of our life where we need to be.
So I don’t really see how can it be more strict than that.
Q. On a non‑tennis note, did you watch any of Oprah’s interview with Lance Armstrong?
VENUS WILLIAMS: No, I didn’t.
Q. Is it something that players are talking about, his confession to doping?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I think everyone is pretty much focused on the tennis. Maybe other players are talking about it. I have no idea.
Q. Do you have any reaction?
VENUS WILLIAMS: I can’t talk about anything I don’t know anything about, so I’m just going to keep my mouth shut. I’m not an expert on that stuff. That’s all I can say.