Ace the Lines

The French once looked upon prodigy Richard Gasquet as their brightest and most promising asset in tennis. At No.20 in the ATP rankings many say he is underachieving, fans would question Gasquet’s mental fitness, his belief in himself, his heart and his desire to succeed. Now the charismatic Frenchman has been branded a ‘cokehead’. After testing positive for Cocaine earlier this year he has adamantly denied consuming the Class A drug.

Thought to have the most effective and eye-pleasing one-handed backhand in tennis, fans have sorely missed his presence in recent major tournaments. This also raises questions over doping laws in sport and whether the officials who make these laws and enforce them are practising with the right intentions as far as the sport itself is concerned.

Officials now have the right to test athletes at any given time, this is considered by many as an invasion of privacy and many figures in tennis have spoken out against the regime. Others argue that players have a responsibility as role models and professionals. In the case of Richard Gasquet the issue that creates the problem is being overlooked.

Pressure is difficult to deal with, whether you’re a world class tennis player trying to win Grand Slams or a rag and bone man selling broken fridges to feed your offspring. If Gasquet is guilty of cocaine consumption we have to ask ourselves why? It could be the fact that he has been under the public eye since the age of 9, it could be because he missed out on his childhood because of his forced devotion to the sport.

Once tipped to be the greatest French tennis player since Rene Lacoste, Gasquet is France’s 4th best tennis player according to the current ranking system. He may wear Lacoste’s clothing brand but is a long way off competing with his legacy.

Gasquet could face a two-year ban from competitive tennis, this time would allow him to question his hunger for success and his love for tennis as a sport. There’s no doubt the tennis world would have patience and welcome back Ree-shard in the hope that he could fulfil his potential and become a tennis great.