Alizé Cornet on the worst time of her life
Number 59 of the WTA world ranking Alizé Cornetwas faced with an investigation in 2018 because of three missed doping tests. In the blog "Behind The Racquet", the 29-year-old looks back on "the worst time of her life".
by Michael Rothschädl
last edit: Jan 01, 2020, 08:36 pm
It was January 11th that Alizé Cornet will not soon forget. That day, the French woman received the news that a trial against her had been initiated due to three missed doping tests. "I remember reading the mail. I didn't understand a word they wrote to me there, ” Cornet writes on the blog“ Behind the Racquet ”today.
Cornet had missed the first two appointments in the same way: She was always on the way to the airport when the doping controllers rang her bell. "I had an early flight and forgot to postpone my appointment with the controller," Cornet explains today. She even offered to be checked at the airport, but "they didn't want to come."
On her third absence, Cornet sees the mistake clearly at WADA. The inspector came to her house, rang the bell and waited an hour in the car in front of the house without anyone opening it. Cornet said they hadn't heard the bell. She hadn't got a call either.
Serious allegations against the ITF
Cornet is particularly disappointed with the ITF: "You should actually help the players, but I think this idea is sometimes forgotten." For Cornet, there was a lot at stake in the process. Up to two years of suspension can result in a guilty verdict.
For Alizé Cornet, however, the story ended positively: the proceedings were terminated and Cornet found innocent. And the 29-year-old also had a good sporting career afterwards: "I played as if I had a new life." But Cornet still had to struggle mentally for a long time. “It took until 2019 to really get over the events. Now I am finally more relaxed when I look at my career and understand that all of this could have been over if things had gone differently. ”