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Nole's performance enhanced due to performance-enhancers?

I read someone's comment on youtube, where this person believed Novak has used performance-enhancer drugs, so I sent a message to him asking him if this is true or just hearsay? This was his response.:

"Hi Elaine,
I am sorry if I offended your point of view about Novak.
But please do not get me wrong; I believe Novak is an amazing player. However, I do believe Nole use or used performance-enhancing/steroid drugs yet undetected (he might not even know himself)... This is only a personal opinion and posting a message on youtube is often posting a personal opinion. Why such a statement? I have played and trained with high level players in France with the FFT and in the US at college level and can tell you that a large majority of the players are clean but some choose to not drink only water... Nole fulgurating ascension, drastic fitness level changes and his astonishing physiological growth in a year and half time are very suspicious to me and would remind me of some players that have used such drugs before.
I have seen Novak played against Gael in Paris in 06 and Novak had a very frail frame, almost bony, skinny legs and very little energy in the tank and now, a year and half later, Novak is completely a different man. Never missing an opportunity to show of is muscular features. You might think, what about Rafa? here is a big muscular guy!
I have seen Rafa played/trained when he was 15 and he already was muscular because that is his body type.
When you are ranked in the ATP 500 hundred in the world, you are already an athlete in an amazing shape, there is very little physiological improvement you can make to you body in a short period of time especially when you are already trimmed.
Thanks "


**I am a big fan of Novak, and DO NOT want to start rumors about him, especially if in fact this is untrue. I feel guilty for even posting this, but, after reading this, I couldn't help but start to think about his behavior, and start to question if there is any truth to it?
Any thoughts?

-Elaine

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.. good thing he just lost in the first round? lol.
Hey there Elaine.

Well, it's not easy having anyone label your favorite player as a cheater. They come up with conspiracy theories, and piece things together in a way that would make it seem as if they're right about something. The truth is that opinion is opinion. But in todays world, it only takes a few people to share an opinion to make it a fact.

I remember seeing Nole for the first time at the French Open '06 vs. Coria. He retired from that match with breathing issues. He was very thin, really lanky lookin' kid. But of course, that was two years ago.
Moving along to the AO last year, when people got upset about him taking his shirt off after defeating...someone. The cliche remark was "he should keep his shirt on, he's too skinny" or something to that effect. So even though people were offended that he ripped his shirt, the shared view was that he was "too skinny." Again, this is almost a year later.
Fast forward to today, Nole is still skinny. I think the YouTube commentor is ridiculous for comparing Nole's muscular development with Nadal's. From my observation, Nole's buildup was gradual, and is not hard to do. For example Coria (again) from '05 to '06 built a very noticeable amount of muscle after changing coaches. Perlas totally cahnged his workout regime, Capitaine completely changed his diet, and so on. Remember, this is only over the course of a year.
Nole is not that much bigger from where he was 2 years ago. Now compared that with Nadal who was massive for his age, but gradually became thinner over a course of three years.

It's just impossible to look at someone and say "Oh he's on steroids," because every physique is different. If the YouTube commentor will make the genetics arguement for Nadal, there is nothing stopping him from making the same such statements for Nole. In anycase, I wouldn't be concerned.

Blue
I agree. Many athletes have mesomorphic body types as well as take (legal) supplements that aide in weight and muscle gain. I'm not saying it isn't a possibility, but I haven't seen any evidence to lead me to believe that Nole is doping.
Yeah, and also it is important to remember Nole's age. He's like 20, right? If you are a late bloomer (like I was) you are still growing naturally at that point. It's not like we're talking about a 30 year old (Barry Bonds) body "filling out".

Elaine, this guy has an agenda. I think he is upset that Gael lost to Nole and is still too skinny. ;)

Don't worry about it, I'm sure there will be more accusations coming - all the best players get that now.

M
"I have seen Rafa played/trained when he was 15 and he already was muscular because that is his body type."

wow, I wish I was born with that body type! what a joke this commentor is.
I wrote back to "the divine" (writer of original letter to me on OP) and said,

" I cannot get what you said about Novak and steroids out of my head. I really want to find out if it is true" ..

His response was:

"Fascinating and most likely possible...
Today performance-enhancing drug are very difficult to detect and are constantly redesigned to be undetectable, often combined with other masking legal drugs. Puerta, Coria, Canas and many others have been caught suspended and paid the price but many didn't...
I can see that you are a fan of Tipsarevic, one of my favorite.
Now that is an amazing player with a well-deserved and natural progression on his way to the top, probably this year. I can see him passing Nole easily ;-)"


Sorry, not trying to stir up trouble, just wanted to share.
No, this is a very ignorant person who is substantially uninformed. He's throwing out names and making it sound like something really obvious happened, but it didn't.
Puerta ingested some menstrual medicine (the tribunal agreed with him and decided not to ban him for life [since it was his second offence]). Imagine that.
Coria took some vitamins (and sued, [and won]).
I can't speak for Canas, but he did win an appeal, and had his sentence shortened. I kinda think he did it, actually.
He could've mentioned Mariano Hood, who was suspended after taking balding medication, and Stephan Koubek for, again, vitamins. And let's not forget Hingis. I wonder why he didn't mention all these people? It's not because he forgot, it's because he's too casual of a fan to actually research all these cases. He read something on some message boards, cut, copy, paste, and voila, he knows everything. Really.

I know it's intriguing because he's taking a shot at your guy. But his conversation sounds copied from everyone else. You really shouldn't be worried.
Since you've shared so much of his stuff with us, maybe he'd like to hear some rebuttle.

Blue

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