Wickmayer slams tennis officials over drug technicality

Belgian Yanina Wickmayer says she has no time for drugs cheats and scant regard for the tennis officials in her own country who banned her on a drugs technicality.

Wickmayer is in Auckland for the ASB Classic starting next week, a fortnight after a Belgian court suspended a one-year ban imposed by the Flemish National Doping Organisation.

The world No 16 had been banned for failing to report her whereabouts for drugs testing three times.

Today, she said she never missed a test, never failed a test and tennis officials in her own country were very poor communicators.

Wickmayer said there was no room for drugs cheats in any sport but tennis officials in Belgium treated players like robots and did not communicate with them.

Under the "whereabouts rule" top 50 players must let tennis authorities know where they are for three months in advance for dope testing.

Last year Wickmayer, 20, leapt 55 places in the world rankings and today said after moving into the world top 50 she was not properly told what she had to do.

"I am not against the system, I am just against the communications and how people communicate with players."

She said Belgian authorities sent four letters to her home and all were returned because no one was there to receive them.

She was playing outside Belgium and was with her father and coach, Marc Wickmayer, and no one told her she had to report.

"I was warned after the third time when things were all too late."

Wickmayer said she was tested while playing in Australia at the time the letters were sent to her home.

"I worked my butt off for the last eight years to be where I am today and some people just decide to take it all away by stupid papers that haven't (been) filled out."

Wickmayer, a US Open semifinalist, said she headed into the Auckland tournament knowing she had done nothing wrong and that she had worked hard to earn the top ranking in Belgium and the world No 16 ranking.

She said it had been tough mentally but she had also missed celebrating her birthday in October because of the pressure of the drugs ban.

"I kept on practising," she said.

"I had to be ready to play (in Auckland) and I am so I am really, really excited."

Wickmayer enters the Auckland tournament as the third seed behind world No 12, Italian Flavia Pennetta, and Chinese world No 15 Li Na.

After Auckland Wickmayer is to head to Melbourne where she hopes to win a wildcard for the Australian Open.

An appeal against her suspension is due to be heard next year.

- NZPA